[dba-Tech] Securing Excel File to avoid E-mail forwards

"As Stuart said, you can't. If people can't handle confident data, don't
pass it on."
Easy to say, but who is it? 
These are all employees of paying customers....

Can't fake data, is all official data and it would be noticed to, the
data is verifiable.
Serializing tought of that to, but in 6 years time (thats 1560 unique
Excel files * +/- 120 recipiants= 187200  Excel files with an own life),
never got hold of a forwarded file. Since the data is so confidential no
one is stupid enough to return a forwarded file to someone in the trust
group. Why should they? The trust group has that data already.

Saving or exporting to CSV: It is a formatted Excel file, so that would
cause problems and a treshold to do every day.

I wonder if I put some code in an excel file to do a HTTP post in the
background, if it would run on most computers? I could do this at random
on specific days with specific users.
I know that this is a privacy issue (rembember Belgium has the most
strict Privacy Law in the world), but all parties agreed to receive and
keep this data confidential, so probably there will be no complaints
:-).

 

-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] Namens Gustav Brock
Verzonden: maandag 19 december 2005 16:39
Aan: dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com
Onderwerp: Re: [dba-Tech] Securing Excel File to avoid E-mail forwards

Hi Erwin

As Stuart said, you can't. If people can't handle confident data, don't
pass it on.

You could individualize the sheets with a serial no. or faked data (leak
test) to identify a sheet (or the faked data for the leak test) if it is
found outside the primary receivers. 
At least you can tell the receivers that you do this kind of test even
if you don't ...

/gustav

>>> Erwin.Craps at ithelps.be 19-12-2005 12:14:54 >>>
Hi Group
 
On a daily basis I send 1 Excel files to about 120 recipients using
E-mail.
The file contains confidential information and is also popular
information for press and other third parties, but may not be disclosed
before the rightfull owner (all of the 120 recipents) decides to do/or
not so for his or here data.
I'm sure this E-mail gets forwarded to other parties that may not
receive this information.
Are there any means today to avoid forwarding this Excel file or atleast
to track back who has forwarded it?
 
I would like to hear suggestions from "cheap to expensive", from "helps
a bit to helps a lot".
 
Some additional remarks:
-I would like to avoid sending 120 slightly different Excel files
instead of "1 for all".
-Excel file is obligatory.
-Normal Excel file operation for the recipient, changing, adding,
deleting content etc.
-Avoiding 24x7 server availibility at my office for on-line verification
or logging or whatever.
-I do have an 24x7 internet server, but do not guaranty 24x7
availibility or even sufficientbandwith.
-The recipients mainly use Outlook, some OE and some are Mac's.


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