Distributing NCHSD modules to users

When distributing NCHSD modules, and indeed ANY Niagara module, to users, be aware of potential pitfalls that may arise due to interactions with the sender's and recipient's local IT administration.

The IT departments may often implement algorithms to protect users from potentially dangerous files that may be sent maliciously through email. Unfortunately, Niagara files are of the same type as some of the common forms of malicious files, for example .jar, .js, .exe, and .zip files. For this reason, it is important to ensure that the files are delivered intact to the recipient. There are several ways to do this. The main goal is to avoid the scanning of the email algorithms:

One way that can increase the likelihood that the file will be delivered intact to the intended recipient is to zip the file, and apply an AES-256 encrypted password to the file. This prevents the file from being tampered with by the protection algorithms in most cases. Assuming you have 7-zip installed, you can do the following:
1. Right-click on the file, or on the folder containing the group of files to be sent. Click 7-Zip > Add to archive.
2. In the Encryption section, enter a password, and ensure that the selected Encryption method is AES-256. It is not necessary to select Encrypt file names.
3. Click OK.
  You can then email the zipped file which should be safe from having files stripped.
Another way is to use OneDrive, or SharePoint, to distribute the module to the recipient. If the recipient is not part of the Honeywell corporate network, perhaps another file sharing option can be used.
It would also be possible to use a USB flash drive to distribute the module, although this is only useful for a small number of recipients at a time, and also may require special USB Write permissions to write the module to the USB flash drive.
NOTE: Remember to follow safe practices regarding the usage of USB drives. Do not use a drive of whose origins you are unsure. Also ensure that it has been scanned, or otherwise confirmed safe and virus-free before using.

Distributing NCHSD modules to users

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