Passwords

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jason
  • Start date Start date
J

Jason

I would like to use a weak form of password protection
without setting up a workgroup. I'd like to have a table
in the db with passwords and user IDs. What's the best way
to protect the table from being viewed (it doesn't have to
be foolproof)?

Thanks in advance,

Jason
 
Jason,

Right click on the table and go to Properties. You will see
a check box for a Hidden attribute which will hide it from
an average user.

Gary Miller
 
Some possibilities:

- Make the table hidden (right click the table, choose properties, then
select "hidden")
- Start the table name with "usys" which will turn it into a "system object"
- Don't show the database window (Tools - startup menu), and clear the "use
special keys" option so the window can't be displayed after the database is
open. (You should always do this in my opinion unless you will be the only
user of the database).
- Set the input mask for the password field to "password" so the password
will not be readable even if someone does open the table.
- Split the database so the tables are in a separate file (back end) to the
one that the users open (front end). This will stop the table design being
modified from the front end. You can also add a startup macro to the back
end to stop that being opened. (This can be bypassed by holding the shift
key whilst the database opens).

None of this is particularly secure, but it should keep out all but the most
determined.
 
Instead of hiding the table, you could just obfuscate the data that you
store in it. Then, the users won't be able to make any sense of that data.

When you store a value 'X' (say a password) into the table, store
Obfuscate(X) - not X.

When you compare an entered value 'Y' against a stored value 'Z':

if Obfuscate(Y) = Z then ... ' the same.

For an obfuscation function, google on "encrypt decrypt xor" (without the
quortes).

HTH,
TC
 
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