Programming with dBASE - Database encryption ..

Author

Database encryption ..

William Herrera

2006-02-25, 9:36 am

With the great help of some of you I was able to create a protection for a
program I wrote, however, I have notice that any one with a database program
can pull up my database and read it.
Is there a way I can encrypt the database or protect it some how where the
program runs fine and yet no one cal pull it up and read it with an external
program?

Thank you much.

*Lysander*

2006-02-25, 9:36 am

William Herrera schrieb:
> Is there a way I can encrypt the database or protect it some how where the
> program runs fine and yet no one cal pull it up and read it with an external
> program?

They cannot only read your databases, they can also EDIT them, for
example using the program dbfview.exe by whitecity.

I do not know of ANY efficient protection for dBase-tables.
You could use PROTECT, but:
a.) that's playing with fire, because of the high risk of corruption
b.) that's not unbreakable protection.

Use an SQL-Server and make sure that the data-files are in a
protected server-machine, and that better be closed up in a
restricted room. That's the only efficient protection.

ciao,
André

Rick Gearardo

2006-02-25, 9:36 am

You could write your own encryption routine.

Rick

"William Herrera" <william@ntpr.net> wrote in message
news:ltgJAT0NGHA.1152@news-server...
> With the great help of some of you I was able to create a protection for a
> program I wrote, however, I have notice that any one with a database
> program can pull up my database and read it.
> Is there a way I can encrypt the database or protect it some how where the
> program runs fine and yet no one cal pull it up and read it with an
> external program?
>
> Thank you much.
>
>

Ken Mayer [dBVIPS]

2006-02-28, 8:25 pm

William Herrera wrote:
> With the great help of some of you I was able to create a protection for a
> program I wrote, however, I have notice that any one with a database program
> can pull up my database and read it.
> Is there a way I can encrypt the database or protect it some how where the
> program runs fine and yet no one cal pull it up and read it with an external
> program?

If you encrypt a table in dBASE, a user from outside of dBASE shouldn't
be able to read it without using the BDE and knowing the
userids/passwords. Have you taken a look at the native encryption in
dBASE? (This is discussed in my book ...)

Ken

--
/(Opinions expressed are purely my own, not those of dataBased
Intelligence, Inc.)/

*Ken Mayer* [dBVIPS]
/Golden Stag Productions/
dBASE at goldenstag dot net
http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase/dBASEBook.htm
http://www.goldenstag.net/GSP
http://www.goldenstag.net/dbase

Bowen Moursund [DataTech]

2006-02-28, 8:25 pm

> a.) that's playing with fire, because of the high risk of corruption

Eh? That's not so. Applying encryption to *existing* tables can result in
corruption, but if empty encrypted tables are created and then populated, no
problem.

> b.) that's not unbreakable protection.

Have you cracked it? :-)

> Use an SQL-Server and make sure that the data-files are in a protected
> server-machine, and that better be closed up in a restricted room. That's
> the only efficient protection.

Bah. :-) *Better* protection, but certainly not more efficient. Overkill,
unless the higher security is required by the job, like say for atomic
secrets <g>.

--
Bowen Moursund
DataTech
Consulting & Development
http://www.bmmnet.us

*Lysander*

2006-02-28, 8:25 pm

Bowen Moursund [DataTech] schrieb:

> Eh? That's not so. Applying encryption to *existing* tables can result
> in corruption, but if empty encrypted tables are created and then
> populated, no problem.

agreed, but it was meant as a warning. Most dBase-users are _NO_
IT-professionals, and they do not behave as such.

Because ever again somebody is writing in this or related forums
about data-loss after applying PROTECT to existing tables.

Another scenario is just deleting the .db-file with the key and that
usually means that your tables are shot.

>
> Have you cracked it? :-)

never needed to, but there were STRONG feelings that at least some
of the people who offered to do it for money are indeed ABLE to do so.

> Bah. :-) *Better* protection, but certainly not more efficient.
> Overkill, unless the higher security is required by the job, like say
> for atomic secrets <g>.

There I strongly disagree, good old Bowen.
I don't like for example one sales-agent to read the contacts or the
salary of another. And... reading is not the only harm that can be
done. If you can read data, you are usually not far away from
manipulating it.

Also I do not like the usual office-staff to read the company's
balances.

When your software is responsible and vital for accounting of large
sums, there must be a door between the data and the users which is
as tightly closed as possible.

ciao,
André

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