Hiding proprietary data
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Hi
I currently sell an application to a specific market that uses an Access back end (and VB6 front end.) I'm thinking of moving to SQL Server Express for the database. However, using a secured .mdb allows me to keep bits of data in the database that I don't want the end users to have access to - when their licence expires, how many simultaneous users they've paid for, etc. I have some experience with SQL Server too, but I've never found a way to prevent access to the data - bearing in mind they have physical access to the machine and could move the mdf onto another box, thus circumventing permissions . . .
Any suggestions please? I'm not up against experts or dedicated hackers; I'd like them to be able to move their database onto another box without having to re-license (this is ok as if they copy it to another organisation the data would be incorrect for the new users) and the Access back-end has worked well for a few years. I would like the performance and robustness of SQL Server however.
TIA
pg
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Ever thought of encrypting that sensitive data? That won't stop someone with sa privileges from watching the data, but he will not understand what he sees.
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Frank Kalis
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url] -
Hi Frank
Y'know, sometimes when it's someone else asking the same question that's been circulating round your head for a day or two, it makes all the difference. . .I'd kind of dismissed encryption, thinking 'if they can get at an encrypted 'Licence status = ok' string, then they can cut n paste it . .
- but there's a lot more possibilities to encryption than that. Thanks for taking the time to give my brain a jump start
pg
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Glad I could help. And best of all is, that you should be able to find good algorithms for free on the web
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Frank Kalis
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]
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