Safety of the installation of Access databases

[Guest]

Good day:

I come by this way to ask for your help to remove some doubts that I possess
on the safest form of installing a database in access in a server and in a
normal installation. The safest form should be understood as the form of
avoiding that the users my copy the the data file (BackEnd) and the *. Mde
file (FrontEnd).

In the first situation - installation in a server - the BackEnd file will be
in a folder that is not shared and soon there won't be problems, but the
FrontEnd file (mde.) must be in a shared folder in order for the different
users accede to the application through a shortcut, and in this case I have a
problem of safety.
I know that it is not possible to accede to the code of a Mde file, but it
is possible to see the names of the forms and tables, what can facilitate the
life to an experienced person in the development of databases.
In this case, I think I have a solution that is to hide the shared folder in
the server and in this case is not visible through the network. But since I
must shortcuts in the users computers for the Mde file the users can see the
path to the Mde file, and an experienced user can accede to the file. Does
some form exist of outlining this problem? Is it possible to hide the path in
the shortcut?
I think Microsoft still didn't develop a form of avoiding that a shared
folder can be configured, to be read and updated and not to be copied through
the network.

Second situation - installation in a user pc - in this case the files of the
data and the the application (mde) file they can be in the same folder. To
protect the folder, the appropriate method it will be to enter in the windows
as administrator and to turn the folder private, later it should be necessary
to create a shortcut to accede to the Mde file and copy it for the folder
Working environment of the several users of the same pc and of the same
application. Only that: when I enter as an different user from the
administrator, the shortcut shows up in the screen is not executed. How is it
that can outline this problem?

Can I solve these problems with the "Microsoft Office Developer Edition"

I thank in advance your cooperation.

With the best regards,
José Leal

 

[TC]

How would knowing the names of the forms, help someone steal your
database?

He starts the database & sees an Order Entry form (for example). It
does not help him, at all, to know that the name of that form is
frmOrderEntry.

Any experienced developer can easily re-create the form & report
layouts. Your true intellectual property, is the code "behind" the
forms, reports & modules. An MDE will hide that completely.

Note: if the MDE FE is on the server, accepted practice is for each
user to have their own, seperate copy; eg. in seperate folders. It
sounds like you are sharing a single copy between all users.

HTH,
TC

 

[Guest]

Good day,TC:

Thank you for your comment.
Then what I should do is to put the Mde file in each user computer? It is
not enough to put the Mde file in a shared folder in the server, and create
shortcuts in the users computers that have the access installed?

Best regards,
José Leal