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How to encrypt Asset Bundles
Hi,
Is it possible to encrypt asset files (.unity3d) in any way? Need to protect artists IPs but would like to use steaming content as well...
With kind regards, Alex.
Answer by jashan · Dec 09, 2009 at 05:48 PM
Assets in unity3d files are stored in a proprietary, closed format that should be pretty hard to decipher. Of course, if someone wants the data, there are always ways to do that - even if your unity3d file was strongly encrypted. The reason is that at some point, the models end up on the graphics card and someone might be able to grab them from there (or hack the graphics drivers to "catch them" while they are transmitted to the graphics card).
Some forum postings you might find interesting:
- Secure Deployment on Pro (this is not only related to Unity Pro even if the subject would indicate that)
- Hack resistance? (a very long discussion - 8 pages - that probably touches everything related to this issue, even if it's more about protecting from hackers than protecting content)
The problem with asset bundles is that all you need to get to the assets is Unity. I'd like to be able to encrypt my assets so only my application can use them.
I guess its a question about reasonable efforts - is using un-encrypted asset bundles out-of-the-box a reasonable effort in the protection of intellectual property? I'd sertainly argue against that if it were my IP in question.
I'll look into it some more, atliest now I know there's not already some method I overlooked which does it...
I agree with menneske. I am less concerned about taking an asset bundle (.unity3d) and creating an FBX out of it (for example), and more concerned about users who intend to use the asset bundled content directly in their Unity based games. Was this hit on somewhere in that massive "hack resistance" thread that I missed?
The links in the above answer are not working. I searched and found