8.5

between penDirector and PReS Workflow could use software such as a packet sniffer to retrieve its
parts and recreate the PGC files. This may be resolvable by create a secure VPN tunnel for each
location where penDirector is installed instead of going through regular remote HTTP server.
l The PlanetPress Capture database, since it can be external to PReS Workflow such as on a MySQL
server, will be dependent on your own database security.
l The Anoto Digital Pens, since they may contain critical information, are just like physical sheets of
signed paper and must be kept secured. This is best done through training employees handling the
pens to be aware of its value and contents and act accordingly. This means that the security of the pen
is just as important as the security of any existing physical documents you may handle at the moment.
l The same rules apply to PDF files as with PGC files, especially when they contain a signature from
the pen. If you are already securing digital scanned copies of signed documents, the PDFs should be
secured in similar ways.
However, remember that as with most security concerns, in order to be a “threat”, someone would have to
have a high level or working knowledge of either the Anoto SDK (which is not easily obtainable) or PReS
Workflow and PlanetPress Capture. In some situations this may be enough (security through obscurity) but
we always recommend having the same level of security for Capture files and documents as you would the
rest of your sensitive information. In most cases, the procedures in place are enough for this purpose.
20,000 Patterns
When reading or learning about PlanetPress Capture, you may have seen a number pop up here and there:
"20,000 Patterns". In order to better understand what this number means and what it entails for you, the user,
this document will first present an overview of a typical PlanetPress Capture implementation and then
explain how the 20,000 patterns limitation can be circumvented in some cases. We will also touch upon the
potential pitfalls of these workarounds as they are used.
The Numbers
First and foremost, the 20,000 patterns is a fixed number - PReS can only generate 20,000 unique patterns
as this is the number of patterns that we license through Anoto.
The 20,000 patterns are, however, not all available when generating documents. There are 8
"demo"patterns that are used to generate documents when PlanetPress Capture is in demo mode (no
license activated), and react the same way that the bulk of the 20,000 patterns. Another single pattern is
used to register pens in the database, and one last single pattern is used when printing a "Preview"from
PlanetPress Design. So in reality, the number of available patterns for document generation is 19990, but for
simplicity's sake this FAQuses the round number "20,000".