Real World Microsoft Access Database Protection and Security

Overview

Protecting and securing your data is a matter of balancing software technology and people processes. If you trust the people who use your database, then data protection is a straightforward computer process. If you cannot afford to trust your users, you have to make it as difficult as you can for users to thwart your security and protection measures, but at the same time make it as easy as possible to use your database. This chapter takes you through the conventional ways of protecting your data with workgroup ( user -level) security and then outlines a new technique that allows you to use Windows Security to secure your Access database. Finally, I offer advice to anyone who is contemplating distributing important Access data outside the company network.

The technical aspects covered in the chapter follow:

• How to modify your workgroup file so others can log on and use the database.

• How to use shortcut files to open secured databases.

• How to protect your Access shortcuts in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

• The issues that arise from sharing workgroup files.

• How to use the security wizard to protect and secure your database.

• How you can use a new technique that I have called anonymous Windows authentication to transfer the security authentication and protection to Windows XP and Windows 2000 security.

• How you can use dual workgroups to allow users access to databases without ever having access to the developer account details.

The demonstration material for this chapter includes a form to open the Access database with shortcut commands so that you can hide the location of the database or workgroup file.