[AccessD] How to hide info within a db?

There is no encryption available at the table level.
However, there are a few things that can be done to hide information...
although if a person is a good VBA / Access programmer they could get around
them.  Creating an encrypted version does nothing to hide the data if one
chooses to link or import tables.

1.  Hiding the table is the first step... I might consider pending the table
with "USys" to signify the table is a user system table.  That hides the
table unless the user unhides it in the parameters.

2.  Roll your own encryption to the field.  I call it encryption, but
actually all you can do is store the data in Unicode using the StrConv
function.  When a user attempts to view the data in the table view, all they
see is the first character of the field. If you change the field's input
mask to password then the length of the field is seen but the number of
characters represents the number of bytes in Unicode.  For example: Social
Security Numbers are nine digits in length, but in Unicode its stored as 18.
Just make sure the field's length is long enough to store the extra digits.
If they click into the field only one asterisk is seen.  They can't copy or
paste the data either.  Of course this requires that you "encrypt" and
"decrypt" each time you need to use the data.  One more caveat... a person
who sees the asterisk or the one character in length to be able decrypt the
field they need to first realize HOW it was modified.

3.  In Access 2007, create a ACCDE file.  This locks everything down and
enables the code to run faster.  After the file is created... change the
extension to ACCDR.  This tells Access it's a runtime version.  If someone
tries to link or import tables from a runtime version, the file does not
show BUT they could paste the name of the file into the dialog box and then
it can be linked or imported.

I do all three, although my table is not a system table. To the
inexperienced or the casual user, these are adequate to keep the information
safe. 

HTH
Jim 


-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of philippe pons
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 9:28 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: [AccessD] How to hide info within a db?

Hi all,


I need to hide some information within an access application.
I would like these information to be really hidden.

How would you do it?

TIA,

Philippe PONS
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