🔐 Perfect GeoServer WMS Configuration for Viewing Only (No Data Extraction or Download)

1️⃣ General Settings (Basic WMS Configuration)

✅ Enable WMS → ✔️ (Enabled, since we want to show data)
✅ Strict CITE Compliance → ❌ (Uncheck, as strict compliance is not needed for security)

✅ Disable GetFeatureInfo requests
- Go to GeoServer Admin Panel → Layer Settings
- Uncheck "Enable GetFeatureInfo"
- This will prevent users from clicking on a feature and getting attribute information.
✅ Disable GetFeatureInfo Reprojection
- Disable the reprojection of GetFeatureInfo results → ✔️ Enable
- This prevents CRS transformations from exposing feature data.
✅ Disable HTML/JSON/XML in GetFeatureInfo
- Enable MIME type checking for GetFeatureInfo → ✔️ Enable
- Remove application/json, text/xml, text/html
- Only allow image formats like PNG to avoid data extraction.

✅ Hide Internal Layer Names
- Go to WMS Settings → Root Layer Info
- Always include Root Layer in Capabilities → ❌ Uncheck
- This prevents users from seeing all available layers.
✅ Restrict CRS List
- Limited SRS List → ✔️ Enable
- Only allow standard web CRS (e.g., EPSG:3857).
✅ Hide Scale Information
- Show Scalehint as units per diagonal pixel in GetCapabilities → ❌ Disable
- Prevents clients from estimating layer resolution.

✅ Disable Vector Formats
- Enable MIME type checking for GetMap → ✔️ Enable
- Allow only image formats: image/png, image/jpeg
- Deny: image/svg, application/pdf, application/vnd.ogc.gml
✅ Limit Image Resolution (Prevent High-Res Screenshots)
- Max rendering memory (KB) → Set to 32MB (lower if needed)
- Max rendering time (s) → Set to 30s
- This prevents users from requesting ultra-high-resolution images.

Disable Web Feature Service (WFS)
- Go to: GeoServer → Services → WFS
- Uncheck "Enable WFS"`
- This prevents direct feature downloads in GML, JSON, etc.
Disable Web Coverage Service (WCS)
- Go to: GeoServer → Services → WCS
- Uncheck "Enable WCS"`
- This prevents raster data downloads.
Disable Styling (SLD) Overwrites
- Disable usage of SLD and SLD_BODY parameters in GET requests → ✔️ Enable
- This prevents users from modifying layer styles dynamically.

✅ Disable Continuous Wrapping
- Enable continuous map wrapping → ❌ Disable
- Prevents users from requesting seamless tile downloads.
✅ Disable Automated Projection Handling
- Enable advanced projection handling → ❌ Disable
- Prevents unexpected coordinate transformations.

✅ Restrict Access with Authentication
- Use GeoServer Security (LDAP, OAuth, or Role-based permissions)
- Allow only authenticated users to access the WMS.
✅ Apply Layer Access Restrictions
- GeoServer → Security → Layer Security
- Restrict who can view specific layers.

Category	Setting	Value
✅ Enable WMS	✔️ Enabled	Users can view the map
🚫 Disable GetFeatureInfo	❌ Disabled	No attribute data extraction
🚫 Disable WFS & WCS	❌ Disabled	No data downloads (vector/raster)
🚫 Restrict Image Formats	`image/png`, `image/jpeg`	No SVG, GML, PDF
🚫 Disable Layer Discovery	❌ No root layer in `GetCapabilities`	Users can't list all layers
🚫 Restrict Projection & Tiling	❌ No continuous map wrapping	Prevents large tile downloads
🚫 Apply Authentication	✔️ Required	Only authorized users see the layers
🚫 Limit Rendering	⏳ Max memory 32MB, Timeout 30s	Prevents high-res screenshots
🚫 Disable SLD Modifications	❌ No dynamic styling	Users can't modify layers