encryption with Access on a laptop

[Doug F.]

My app has several wandering laptops collecting some confidential info, about
3 fields. I think that theft/loss of the laptop is the main risk. I read that
with versions earlier than 2007 the Access encryption (encoding) really only
protects from Hex editors etc. But that version 2007 ties the database
password to the encryption, if true (with a strong password) then doesn't
this make the .mdb file useless to a robber and a good solution for a laptop?
I have developed a fe-be for now in order to facilitate fe changes. Could I
use 2007 and put an Access database password on the be?
Thanks,
Doug

 

[Tom van Stiphout]

On Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:59:01 -0700, Doug F.

Say that the laptop gets stolen. Can't the thief run your app and see
then encrypted information in plain text?
Consider using Windows 7 Enterprise Edition, with BitLocker
technology.

-Tom.
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[David W. Fenton]

Say that the laptop gets stolen. Can't the thief run your app and
see then encrypted information in plain text?
Consider using Windows 7 Enterprise Edition, with BitLocker
technology.

WinXP has encryption by a different name.

However, be careful with it -- be sure your backups of your
encrypted data are not encrypted. The reason I say this is that I
thought my laptop was dead (I spilled red wine in the trackpad --
note to self: when having a glass of wine in the evening while at
the keyboard, use a tumbler instead of a glass with a stem that puts
the wine 4" above the laptop, so it has ample opportunity if it
falls over to dump right into the keyboard...but I digress...), and
I had my document folders encrypted using WinXP's file system
encryption. When I set it up I'd dutifully saved the encryption keys
onto a thumb drive, so I thought that all I had to do to get the
data was to attach the drive in another machine (I used one of those
little $30 IDE/SATA drive adaptor kits), import the encryption key
to that machine, and then I'd be able to access the data.

But it didn't work.

Fortunately, 12 hours later the wine dried up inside the trackpad,
and my laptop booted again. Even before I ran all my backups, I
removed all the encryption.

I don't know how BitLocker works, but as with backup/restore, you
before you commit to encrypting your files, be sure you can recover
them on another machine if you have to.

 

[Arvin Meyer [MVP]]

I suggest using TrueCrypt with a strong passphrase, and making sure that
both the passphrase and database are backed up.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

The password capability in Access, in my opinion, is not strong enough for
sensitive data.

 

[David W. Fenton]

The password capability in Access, in my opinion, is not strong
enough for sensitive data.

Actually, in A2007 it's quite good. It's just useless in real life.

 

[Neil W]

Doug,

May I suggest that you take a look at our product here:
http://www.netlib.com/file-encryption.asp

There is a free evaluation available as well.

Neil Weicher
NetLib