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How to apply Password Protection On attachment send through mail from SAP

Sonal_J
Participant
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Hi All,

I want to apply Password Protection on file send as an attachment from SAP on Email.

I know how to send email from sap with attachment in it. A smartform is coverted to a attachment and send on email.

But how can i apply password protection on it.

Any type of file format will be fine. I just need to know how can i make that file as password protected.

Thanks in advance.

Sonal Jain.

12 REPLIES 12

Former Member
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Check this. It will solve your purpose

http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/ABAP/Workitemintimationintheemail

I hope POPUP_GET_USER_PASSWORD will do for your case..

Incase check these two threads

Please check for FM in SE37..

Manas M.

Edited by: Kumar Manas Mishra on Jan 22, 2010 10:09 AM

Edited by: Kumar Manas Mishra on Jan 22, 2010 10:10 AM

Former Member
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Hi Sonal

If you are excel sheet as the attachment, i think you can use the OLE objects to password protect the file. But one drawback is, you can use it only in foreground mode.

Regards

Ranganath

Jelena
Active Contributor
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The only option that comes to mind is archiving the attachment into a password-protected ZIP and then sending it. Not sure if this would be feasible with the Smartform though because you'd need to have an actual PDF file first to archive and the way Smartforms are usually sent is by just sending a data stream that the mail server (or some other magic) later converts into the email and attachment.

You might have to think completely outside the box and use, for example, a password-protected web page with a link sent by email instead of the attachment. Or something like that...

P.S. Quite honestly, I don't think password protection adds much security. You need a bona fide secure connection and encryption for an adequate protection. Passwords are just for dummies.

WolfgangJanzen
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
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Passwords are just for dummies.

I agree (but have to admit that I would not have dared to speak out that straight).

For email PGP or S/MIME are the appropriete instruments (to encrypt the content) - but it requires to know more than just the email address of the recipient. This imposes the need for some key management infrastructure and requires several APIs to be changed.

Regards, Wolfgang

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Hi,

Thanks all for Replying

But how can i convert the PDF to folder and than how can i zip that folder with password protection.

Thanks in advance

Former Member
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Hi Sonal,

Try using the function module EXCEL_OLE_STANDARD_DAT in your source code.. You would probably get better responses if you were asking this in the ABAP forum .. LIke check this thread below

Regards,

CP

Former Member
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>

> But how can i convert the PDF to folder and than how can i zip that folder with password protection.

> Thanks in advance

Not sure what you mean here.. but are we still talking about SAP doing this for you?

Regards,

CP

Former Member
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The thread originally was in the ABAP forum, but I moved it here to see other opinions on "why not to" as opposed to simple "how to" answers.

Whhhoooshhhh! (sound of security aspects flying over our heads...

@ Sonal: Let me know if you want to have it moved back to the ABAP forums.

Cheers,

Julius

Jelena
Active Contributor
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>

But how can i convert the PDF to folder and than how can i zip that folder with password protection.

Not folder but file (I do hope you understand the difference). Have you tried to search SDN at all? I don't have much time, but before replying initially I did just a quick search and it brought several posts mentioning the archiving functionality. And I'm sure 'Smartform to PDF' will bring up gozillion posts. Also I find the Google search with addition 'site:sap.com' to be quite helpful.

However, I would still recommend to review the requirements. Why exactly do you need this password protection? If there is a fear that someone other than a recipient might get access to the email account then there is really a bigger security issue in the organization and it should be resolved by some other means. As I have mentioned, password does not really add much protection.

Out of curiosity I briefly looked at the IRM description on the Microsoft's web site and it doesn't seem to be very helpful. First of all, it's the MS software and has to be installed on the user's PC and configured (how do we know the emai recipients are even on Windows?). Also it does say "Prevent an unauthorized recipient from accessing e-mail content", but I didn't quite get how exactly. Is there a retinal scan that comes with it? And the list of things it does not do gives you the whole another perspective on the email security.

Former Member
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Hi Jelena,

You can also zip a folder and it's contents, but I am also wondering why.

What I have seen before is HR data on file systems for controllers to calculate accruals. This is not uncommon (legislators and trade unions are at the root-cause fault in my opinion...), so perhaps in the stead of file permissions the OP wants to protect the zip archive containing the data at it's source already, but then publish it on the intra- or internet anyway...

This approach has the survival chance of a [dodo|http://climateprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/dodo-big.jpg] in such an environment, as you need to generate and manage the passwords and might have a "warm and cumfy feeling" about the access to the mail servers and the file systems, as well as the PC's... as a result.

If data is worth protecting, the best approach is always to access it at it's source and protect it there. That way you can take the access away again!

Cheers,

Julius

WolfgangJanzen
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert
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If data is worth protecting, the best approach is always to access it at it's source and protect it there. That way you can take the access away again!

A true and wise statement.

In addition you ensure that the accessed data is "always up-to-date".

The ability to revoke granted access privileges might be a very important asset (GRC related).

Edited by: Wolfgang Janzen on Jan 28, 2010 11:34 AM

Former Member
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Dear,

Usage of IRM (Information Right Management services) email server will give protection for email and the attached documents.

Regards,

Shrinivasan KV