How Do I Protect My iLok From Being Damaged, Broken, Lost Or Stolen?
Your iLok can be worth more than its weight in gold if you have a lot of software licenses on it. Looking after it and protecting it should be a high priority but we so often don't give it a second glance. In this article, we are going to look at a number of options to consider. There are two key issues to consider when protecting your iLok and these are...
Preventing it from getting damaged or broken
Preventing it from being stolen
Why Is This So Important?
The reality of the situation is that the value of your iLok is the combined value of all the software you have that is protected my iLok licensing. After all, anyone with your iLok can use any of the software that you bought, for free! Looking after your iLok is really important.
“But surely if I lose my iLok I can just get new licenses?” NO you can’t. If you lost a car, you wouldn’t expect the car manufacturer to give you a new car would you? Thats is why you take out insurance. The same is true of software, but I suspect very few of us have taken out insurance to protect your software, hardware yes, but software, I suspect less so. That said, each software brand has their own policy on this, for example, Avid have a Knowledge Base document that outlines their policy on what they will or won’t do if an iLok is lost, stolen of broken.
Preventing An iLok From Being Damaged Or Broken
Just plugging an iLok 1 or iLok 2 into a USB socket means the iLok is vulnerable to damage from knocks and bangs as especially on laptops is stuck out on the side or rear and so is very susceptible to impact damage which can mean the iLok is snapped off.
iLok Dongle Buddy - The easiest way to prevent this is not to plug the iLok directly into the computer but to use a short USB extension cable. You can get them from many sources including iLok themselves who offer their iLok Buddy.
Fit the iLok Inside The Computer - If you have a tower computer then you have a number of options. Use a short USB lead, note the iLok buddy is too short for this, plug one end into a USB socket on the back and then thread the cable back inside the computer through a convenient slot and then attach the iLok with a cable tie and plug it into the other end of the USB extension lead.
PC computer users could consider using a USB PCI slot to internal USB connection adaptor and remove one, or both USB sockets off the slot plate and so plug the iLok into a completely internal USB socket. This option is not available to Mac users as Apple motherboards don't offer internal USB connections. These solutions also will help to prevent your iLok from being stolen as the iLok is also no longer visible.
Mount The iLok In A Box - This solution can take a number of forms, DIY or commercial products. Roklocker is a commercial solution that has just come back on the market which is designed to reduce the chance of your iLok being damaged by housing it in between hard foam, inside a polycarbonate enclosure to protect against your iLok being dropped, snapped, stepped on, or the occasional tea and coffee tidal waves. A 3 metre USB extension cable is included with every Roklocker purchased. More of these in the next section.
Preventing An iLok From Being Stolen
Mount The iLok In A Box - Although the Roklocker is designed to protect your iLok from being damaged, it doesn't really help on the stolen option. However, there are solutions that use a box to protect your iLok from being stolen.
Using A Steel Cash Box - Pro Tools Expert team member Julian Rodgers in part 3 of his Studio Security In Educational Institutions article recommends a different solution. His preferred solution is to buy steel cash boxes, screw them to the underside of the furniture and to run a USB cable through a slot cut in the box out to the computer. This solution works well for computer lab environments and multiple iLoks from multiple computers can be housed in a single cash box.
Click on the image to see a larger version
Using A Flash Drive Safe - This comes from a small UK company called Creation Security and I came across this on Ebay. It has been designed for home or office use to protect your USB devices and iLok USB keys and can bolt onto a desk, worktop or to the rear of a monitor using a VESA mount.
It features a hinged lid with a high-security lock, designed to keep your USB devices safe and secure - particularly important for high value iLok USB keys.
Use a Diecast Box And A Bolt Lock - We have featured one solution from community members Neil Martin & Fred Brown who designed a solution intended for computer labs to protect an iMac and an iLok. It uses a diecast box for the iLok and security bolt that passes through the iLok box, the iMac base and the desk and then is secured with a padlock under the desk. You can read Neil and Fred's instructions in full in our Tip For iLok Security In Computer Lab From Neil Martin & Fred Brown article.
Using A Key Safe - These are little metal boxes that are made to hold keys, with a combination lock, but some of them are big enough to fit an iLok. You will need to drill a hole big enough to get a USB extender cable through but not big enough for the iLok to pass through. and run a USB extender into it. The loop in the key safe can hook onto your standard "loop" security things most school labs have.
Move The iLok Away From The Computer - By this, we mean into another room or even another building. As long as you have a network connection it is now possible to have all your iLoks in a secure room attached to a central device and each computer checks fro the iLok over the network rather than looking locally at USB connections.
VirtualHere - Team member Alan Sallabank covered VirtualHere, which is one solution. If you have an Arm / Linux based NAS server, third party developers can write plug-ins or apps for these systems, which work across a wide range of manufacturers. These can range from DVB TV recorders and servers to Website hosting, to automated off-site backup, to Antivirus protection.
VirtualHere Server is an app on your NAS system that allows you to plug your USB devices into your NAS, then present them to your network attached computer, as if they were connected locally. Only one of you can have any USB device at a time - you can't share them though, but "plugging and unplugging" your USB is done through an app that runs in the background on your computer - Windows, Mac or Linux.
If you want to know more you can read exactly how to set this up in Alan's article VirtualHere - How To Use iLok, Waves Key And Other Licences Over Networks.
iLok Network Licensing - PACE the company behind iLok have added a feature to the iLok system that supports network licenses. Network iLok Licenses are special licenses can be shared across your local network and software publishers like Avid that use iLok, now have the option to provide users with a special type of license that may be shared across your local network. You can use the iLok License Manager to configure your networked computer to act as a server and share these licenses to other computers on your network. There are varying levels of privacy supported so that you can make your network private or public. Network licenses are ideal for classrooms and large businesses that require a robust license sharing system.
Note that only special network licenses with more than one seat assigned can be shared on a network and each software developer has to make their licenses available in network form so it maybe some time before this is in common usage.
Take Out Insurance By Using Zero Downtime From iLok
At the top of this article we mentioned the car analogy and taking out insurance. One option to consider in conjunction with the suggestions listed above is to take out Zero Downtime on your iLoks.
If you are earning your living from iLok protected software then we strongly recommend that you take out ZDT (Zero Downtime) on each of your iLoks.
Setting up and running an account at iLok.com is free, but iLok also offers optional services that do have costs attached like Zero Down Time, which aims to keep your system up and running if you do lose or break an iLok.
With ZDT and TLC enabled: iLok can replace your licenses for you, whether the iLok is lost stolen or broken.
Without TLC enabled: if the iLok is lost or stolen, software publishers do not allow iLok to replace the licenses. You will need to work with them individually to receive replacement licenses. An RMA order is required, but there is no charge to place the report.
Zero Downtime coverage is US$30 per iLok USB Smart Key for up to one year or until your device breaks, is lost or stolen, whichever comes first.
It’s a no brainer!
Check out our article where we show two real-world case studies one with ZDT and one without.
What Do I Do If My iLok Is Lost, Damaged Or Stolen?
If your iLok Is Broken, Lost Or Stolen, then check out our detailed article on this.
We cover in detail what fault finding to do if your iLok appears not to be working,
How to go about using The iLok RMA Procedure once you have established the iLok is broken
Avid’s policy on Lost, Stolen Or Broken iLoks,
What you get when you take out the iLok Zero Downtime cover.