>Case Study: I am developing a networked system and I need to grant access to specific data in a database which is in a shared location on a Win NT server. The access to the data is limited to specific items based on the user security level as controlled by the software. All of this works fine.
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>Problem: by granting the programme access to the file I also open the door to direct user level access through Network Neighborhood or through mapping. I do not want to allow access to the file directly using other programs, such as Access, or even Foxpro itself, as this would make all data visible and vulnerable, instead of the data I wish to show by accessing through the specialised application.
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>Does any solution exist?

Peter,
Do NOT give them access to the data outside your application!! If they need to query stuff, build those features into your app.. If they need to do some reports, then build that into your app.. If they want to anything to the data, make it thru the system..

Setup the rights on your LAN/WAN, so that people who need access to read/write can do this thru your app. If they have other applications that can read/write to VFP database's and tables, then remove the mapping to the data directory/drive outside the usage of your app..

What I mean is, when a user selects your app, have a drive mapped ovet to your data directory so the application can access it.. When they are done, Unmap it from them... This is a start, but has the problem, if they are running NT/95, then they can access the data AFTER they open your app, thru those other programs..

They way to solve that is to use a 3rd party library like Crytor, that encripts and decripts your data on the fly...

The best way to handle this is with training.. Train the people NOT to use Excell or something to access your systems data, because once they do, you will have lost the means to maintaining the validity of your data..

Thanx!

Tony Miller
Vancouver, Wa