Please help me... Urgent!! Protect Access database

[yahui]

Hi everyone,

I have tried to protect my application database using the MS Access workgroup. Therefore some of my users will not be able to edit the data thru my application..

But I realised a loophole.. When someone, who has access to my database folder in the server and not a user for my application, tries to open the database in their machine, they are able to edit and read the data without being prompted for any userid or password.. Is this correct? How do I ensure that there is no loop hole? What is the user of protect a MS Access DB?

Thank you very much.

[Beacon]

Not usually it depends on how your network protection policies are setup!
If it's a database folder then dont let anyone use it except you!

Else:
If they are trying to open your DB up without your app then:

Put a password on the actual database not just work group info!

Change the extension, dodgy i know, but if you change it to somthing other then *.mdb, (like *.ysf) no-one will know what the hell that file is. Hell even make a registry entry that tells the pc's that it's a Yahui System File or something. If you use DAO or ADODB then it'll still work fine. Data controls may have a problem but thats what you get for using them!

What OS does your server run? I "think" you can tell win2k server to track changes of a certain file. I.e who opened it etc. Then just read the log file daily!
If you see that Billy opened your file then you can go blast the crap outta him!

good luck
b

[yahui]

Therefore is it correct for me to say that the workgroup information is only useful for further securing the individual tables in the respective databases and to control the users' access via the application?

Thank you.

[Beacon]

I tend to think of the workgroup protection stuff as like servers managing user rights.

It allows you to give access to certain users or restrict certain users. But if someone has the same rights as you or uses your pc then it's not much good!
If setup properly you should be able to restrict certain users or pc's with it you shouldnt need to do it via your app but make sure you set it up properly.
But securing with you app you set it up so you know whats happening etc.

make sense??
b

[yahui]

I realise that the current workgroup that my application is using is a default workgroup. How do I change the current workgroup so that I can only use it for user-level security on a specific database, and not use it on other database?

Thank you.

[Beacon]

Ripped staright from the help section:

Joining A Workgroup:
Join a Microsoft Access workgroup using the Workgroup Administrator

1) Exit Microsoft Access.

2) To start the Workgroup Administrator, open the language folder, and then double-click Wrkgadm.exe. Alternatively, you can use the MS Access Workgroup Administrator shortcut in the \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder.

In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Join.

3) Type the path and name of the workgroup information file that defines the Microsoft Access workgroup you want to join, and then click OK, or click Browse and then use the Select Workgroup Information File dialog box to locate the workgroup information file.
The next time you start Microsoft Access, it uses the user and group accounts and passwords stored in the workgroup information file for the workgroup you joined.

Important If you are setting up user-level security and need to make sure that your workgroup and its permissions can't be duplicated, you should make sure the workgroup information file that defines the workgroup you're joining has been created with a unique workgroup ID (WID). If such a workgroup information file doesn't exist, you should create one. For information on creating a new workgroup information file, click .

Create New Workgroup File:
When you install Microsoft Access, the Setup program automatically creates a Microsoft Access workgroup information file that is identified by the name and organization information you specify. Because this information is often easy to determine, it's possible for unauthorized users to create another version of this workgroup information file and consequently assume the irrevocable permissions of an administrator account (a member of the Admins group) in the workgroup defined by that workgroup information file. To prevent this, create a new workgroup information file, and specify a workgroup ID (WID). Only someone who knows the WID will be able to create a copy of the workgroup information file.

Exit Microsoft Access.


To start the Workgroup Administrator, open the language folder, and then double-click Wrkgadm.exe. Alternatively, you can use the MS Access Workgroup Administrator shortcut in the \Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder.


In the Workgroup Administrator dialog box, click Create.


In the Workgroup Owner Information dialog box, type your name and organization, and then type any combination of up to 20 numbers and letters for the workgroup ID.
Caution Be sure to write down your exact name, organization, and workgroup ID — including whether letters are uppercase or lowercase (for all three entries) — and keep them in a secure place. If you have to re-create the workgroup information file, you must supply exactly the same name, organization, and workgroup ID. If you forget or lose these entries, you can't recover them and might lose access to your databases.

Type a new name for the new workgroup information file, and then click OK. (By default, the workgroup information file is saved in the language folder. To save in a different location, type a new path or click Browse to specify the new path.)
The new workgroup information file is used the next time you start Microsoft Access. Any user and group accounts or passwords that you create are saved in the new workgroup information file. To have others join the workgroup defined by your new workgroup information file, copy the file to a shared folder (if you didn't already save it in a shared folder in step 4), and then have each user run the Workgroup Administrator to join the new workgroup information file.