Auditing in Access Database

[hannankhanji]

Dear Freinds.
I have some security issues with access database.
We have one application supplied by vendor which is developed by VC++ uses database as Ms Access. this access database does not have any password.
This application was running fine for many years. but suddenly security auditors in the clients company told that they cannot have application database with no password.

Since there is no latest release from the application side, we have to find some way out at the database side. if we set password to access database then application stops

working. since this was not possible , cleint requested if we can have some audit log , so that they can keep track of the changes made by the user.

only way i could think was to migrate database to SQL Server and link tables in access database, i created triggers on each table and created one audit table to keep track

of changes, this did work but performance was very bad.so this option got ruled out.

So to cut the long story short, i need some auditing for MS access database which should not take a toll on performance.
please suggest some way to acheive this. the application is developed in VC++ and i dont have its source code.

Thanks
HAN

 

[Khalid_Afridi]

Dear Freinds.
I have some security issues with access database.
We have one application supplied by vendor which is developed by VC++ uses database as Ms Access. this access database does not have any password....

Welcome to the forum.

• Please can you tell which version of Ms-Access Database you are using as a back-end database?
• is your database has linked tables to C++ (not sure if it is possible)

by the way, you can make a copy of your access database before doing any experience, then apply the password to the back-end and re-connect your database to the front end. It will save the password along with your linked tables to the front end.

OR

you have to use the ODBC connection to open the Access Database using C++.

http://www.connectionstrings.com/access

 

[hannankhanji]

Thanks Khalid for your quick reply.
- access is 2007 version.
- i do not have source code for C++ application so do not know how exactly it is connecting to database.

can we write some macro or module to do this for me.
experts pls help.
Thanks

 

[Khalid_Afridi]

Thanks Khalid for your quick reply.
- access is 2007 version.
- i do not have source code for C++ application so do not know how exactly it is connecting to database.

can we write some macro or module to do this for me.
experts pls help.
Thanks

It's very difficult to re-connect the password protected database without the source code.
you have to consult with the application developer (originator) to give you the source code and re-connect it with password protected database along with the password in the connection string.

 

[hannankhanji]

Khalid,
do you have any solution to do auditing on ms access tables without Forms.

 

[JANR]

In Access 2007 no but if you have access 2010 then this version introduces DataMacros on table level. There should be a solution using that provided that you can access the tables in design view.

My understanding is that DataMacros is triggered whenever something changes in the table regardless on where the changes comes from.

just my 2 cents

JR

 

[hannankhanji]

Thanks for your response.
ya i too found that it is possible in office 2010.
but the next problem is any smart user can easily go and delete these macros.
i need to have some security so that no one can see these macros except admin.

if this is possible then i am done.
thanks