Server-Based Databases

One good approach to securing your data is to transfer the data and relationship rules to a server-based database such as SQL Server, Informix, or Oracle. Before you do that, remember that though Access provides good prototyping development for server databases, it is also useful as a tool to decide whether a database is going to survive. Using Access in this way is interesting because when most databases start off, they are terribly important to the people who are pushing the concept. The reality, though, is that a good percentage of databases waste away after a year or so because they were based on a business model that really wasn't as important as was first thought. In this case, using Access as your initial database is a terrific way to decide whether the database is actually worth upgrading to a more expensive server database environment.

Server-based databases generally are more secure than Access databases by virtue of the fact that users cannot copy the database and take it home with them. However, to put off your security because you think that you might upgrade to a server-based database at some stage is not protecting your data in the meantime. Also, if the supposed complexity of Access security puts you off, don't in any way believe that it is going to get any easier when you adopt a server-based solution. In fact, I remember reading one statistic that showed that a very high proportion of SQL Server-based databases being hosted on the Internet were vulnerable because the system administrator account (sa) did not have any password at all.

Note  

In Appendix C, you can review the reasons why you would want to migrate Access to SQL Server. The information in the chapter, though specific to SQL Server, also provides valuable insight into the reasons for and against migrating to any server-based database.

Remember, if Access is what you have and what you understand, upgrading to SQL Server to make your database more secure is like upgrading your house to a complex (all bells and whistles) security system. Most of the time the alarm is going to go off as you enter the bathroom in the middle of the night, and you are just going to wish that you hadn't bothered.