Block users from exporting queries and tables

And when you have spend hours and days on "securing" the database, the users just select the records of a form and copy-paste them into Excel ...

Agree with all the previous comments. Although you cannot make Access totally secure, it is possible to prevent misuse by all except experienced hackers. However, what exactly are you are trying to protect and why?

As well as the suggestions already made, there are many things you can do to make it harder for anyone to steal your data. My article (linked by George_Hepworth) gives many suggestions

You can certainly load form & report data in code as arnel_gp suggests but record sources can be read externally so that isn't secure either. A more secure alternative is to use disconnected ADO recordsets for your forms instead. That option isn't available for reports though workarounds are possible.

I would definitely password protect & thereby encrypt your Access front-end database.

In addition, consider:

a) 'deep hiding' your tables- this makes them invisible in the navigation pane and so not available to users from Excel. Unfortunately, that isn't possible with queries

b) encrypting your data as well so that even if anyone does gain access to your tables / queries, the data will be unreadable

make sure you use forms and reports on displaying your data.

you assign the RecordSource of the forms/Reports on the Load event, eg:

For report

Private Sub Report_Open(Cancel As Integer)
Me.RecordSource = "SELECT * FROM (SELECT * FROM [" & BEPath & "\BEName.accdb;PWD=BEpassword].yourTableName);"
End Sub

for form:

Private Sub Form_Load()
Me.RecordSource = "SELECT * FROM (SELECT * FROM [" & BEPath & "\BEName.accdb;PWD=BEpassword].yourTableName);"
End Sub

therefore, you can delete the queries and Linked tables from your Front End.

Hi,

George already wrote that there are only limited means if you use an Access backend.

> encrypted the back end

If you have used a database password for the backend file then there is no "free pass" anymore to the data. A user who tries to connect from Excel to the data in the backend will be asked for the database password.

To exclude external intruders you have to close the file chain as described in our beautiful video here.

Servus
Karl
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The short, over simplified answer is no. That's the nature of Access. It is inherently not secure. While you can push it towards a greater relative degree of security with some of the techniques you mention, there is simply no way to get to 100% secure.

One of the more comprehensive sources on Access security I am aware of is this one, Isladogs on Access -- Access Security You will glean some useful information relating to your efforts.

If you are really concerned about your users misusing the data, perhaps you could approach management to discuss why you don't trust other users in your organization and what options are available to deal with that problem on a management level.

Also, if the data really must be protected 100% from unauthorized access -- even by colleagues who otherwise use that same data via Access -- you might need to migrate the data to a more secure platform such as SQL Server.

.