Establishing Security Controls in a Distributed Database - High-Performance Web Databases: Design, Development, and Deployment - page 757

A way is needed to reconstruct the records, and therefore, the file, when
desired. This is accomplished by having a control file within the operating
system or an application program, where the locations, and probably the
addresses of each distributed data item are stored. It should be relatively
easy to implement these two approaches by means of systems software or
applications programs.
Techniques for Protecting Data En Route
For transmitted data, or data en route, data encryption can be used to
protect data transmitted in a communications network.
LIMITATIONS OF THE MODEL
The model suggested in this chapter has at least three limitations. First,
the model does not identify all possible data protection techniques; the
lists are therefore not meant to be all-inclusive. Second, the model does not
compare the various techniques in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
Finally, some of the techniques or devices may not have been fully devel-
oped and made operational.
Despite these apparent deficiencies, the model provides a framework for
analyzing security problems in a distributed database environment and
perhaps implementing a policy model that reflects the security needs and
characteristics of a business entity in a distributed database environment.
CONCLUSION
The problems of a distributed database can be mitigated if proper
administrative and technical procedures are devised and rigorously imple-
mented. The security problem, in particular, needs special consideration.
The model used in this chapter can guide practitioners to design proper
security strategies in a distributed database environment.