Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Protect databases
12
IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO
Assign passwords to databases.
Split databases.
Secure databases for distribution.
Prevent database problems.
Database protection takes two forms: ensuring that the database's data is secure, and
ensuring that its data is available and useable.
The need for database security is an unfortunate fact of life. As with your house, car, office,
or briefcase, the level of security required for your database depends on the value of what
you have and whether you are trying to protect it from curious eyes, accidental damage,
malicious destruction, or theft. The security of a company's business information can be
critical to its survival. For example, you might not be too concerned if a person gained
unauthorized access to your products list, but you would be very concerned if a competi-
tor managed to obtain your customer list. And the destruction or deletion of your critical
order information would be a disaster. Your goal is to provide adequate protection without
imposing unnecessary restrictions on the people who need access to your database. The
protection techniques you choose depend to a large extent on how many people are using
the database and where it is stored.
In addition to ensuring that a database is secure, you need to ensure that it is well main-
tained. Normal usage can result in conditions that increase the size of a database and slow
it down, so ongoing maintenance is essential for reliable performance. This is especially
true if the database is stored on a network rather than on a local drive, and if it is accessed
by multiple users.
 
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