delphi - MS ACCESS Database Password - How secure? -

i have program written in delphi 7, uses ms access 2000 database backend.

i have password protected ms access 2000 database file (*.mdb) 16 character password consisting of misture of numeral, control, uppercase, , lowercase characters.

however, looks there number of programs on market claim password can retrieved. purpose of database password if case? there anyway make not retrievable? tighten encryption speak?

thanks

is there anyway make not retrievable? tighten encryption speak?

it depends; can either change database , more secure 1 (e.g. ms sql server compact edition), or if want stay on ms access , security of data important you, go encrypting important fields using encryption algorithm (e.g. aes).

if going encrypt fields, can transparently in delphi; each db field in delphi derived tfield class, , has 2 events called ongettext , onsettext. ongettext fired every time try read field's data, , onsettext fired every time try write field. can encrypt field data whenever onsettext fired, way, encrypted data saved in database. on other hand, can decrypt field data whenever ongettext fired, way, user see , work decrypted data. whole process transparent users.

of course should take note encrypting/ decrypting fields every time being read or write has performance drawback depending on number of fields encrypted, size, frequency of reading or writing them, , encryption algorithm used. it's better encrypt important fields.

another option encrypt whole ms access database file, , decrypt whenever application connecting it, way, file secure long application not running; once application running , file decrypted; file exposed others.