Control access to web applications on Portal for ArcGIS for anonymous users

[DebDrai]

Hello,

One of my client with Portal for ArcGIS (11.1) would like that anonymous users can access to public web applications and their content (web maps, web layers, and so on), but he doesn't want them to access directly to the same web maps, web layers in going to the Portal website (throught the Gallery). Currently, they can do both.

He has been suggested at first to disable anonymous access to his portal, then to disable the arcgis portal directory. Before doing it, he would like to know if:

• 1/ it will prevent anonymous users to see the content of the Portal website, but still allow them to view the public web applications if  they have their direct URLs
• 2/ to disable the arcgis portal directory will prevent anonymous users to see portal items, but still allow creator users to publish services and build web applications.

I found opposite answers about the first point, and I think the second point is true but I would like to be sure.

Can anyone help me about that, please ?

Thank you very much !

[MichaelJenkins]

If you disable anonymous access then users will be prompted to log in when accessing any item, even if shared with everyone.

[jcarlson · Accepted solution]

@MichaelJenkins  is right on point 1, that option puts your org in "lockdown" mode where members of the public see nothing.

On point number 2, a user can still see your maps and data, they just won't know what your service URLs are unless they watch the network traffic when the map loads.

Various versions of this question come up now and then, but the answer is pretty much the same: if the data is public, you can't stop someone from viewing the data in other contexts, or even downloading it. You can make it inconvenient, but not totally stop it.

There are ways to actually show the data publicly without opening up other kinds of access, but it requires custom coding. No way to do it with off-the-shelf tools that I know of.

[DebDrai]

Thank you very much for your help and answer !