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Protecting databases
F
ILEMAKER PRO HELP 447
Protecting databases
You can restrict what users can see and do in a database file by defining accounts and privilege
sets. For example, you can:
• Password-protect a file
• Allow data entry only
• Allow browsing but prohibit database changes
• Restrict access to specific tables, records, fields, and layouts
• Give certain users full access to a file, which allows them to define tables, fields,
relationships, data sources, and access privileges for other users
You can also control access to a file’s schema (including its tables, layouts, scripts, and value lists).
Although your operating system includes file security features, you should use FileMaker Pro
access privileges as the fundamental way to control access to and protect the security of your
database files.
It’s especially important to protect FileMaker Pro files that are shared with other FileMaker Pro users
via the
FileMaker Network, with web users via FileMaker WebDirect, and with ODBC/JDBC clients.
These shared files are more vulnerable because they may be more widely available over your
network.
Note If you have FileMaker Pro Advanced, you can encrypt database files to protect them while
they are being stored on disk. See Encrypting database files (FileMaker Pro Advanced).
About protecting databases
You can limit what users can see and do in a FileMaker Pro file. You can restrict:
• Data access. Make particular tables, fields, or records view-only, or hide them completely.
• Layout access. Prevent users from modifying layouts in Layout mode.
• Access to value lists and scripts. Prevent users from accessing and modifying value lists
and scripts, and from running scripts.
• Access to file sharing. Individually enable file sharing via the FileMaker Network, Web
Publishing, and
ODBC/JDBC for only particular users.
• Outputting data. Prevent users from printing or exporting data.
• Menu access. Make only a limited set of menu commands available.
• External file access. Protect access to a file in your database by authorizing other files to
reference its tables, layouts, scripts, and value lists.
• Plug-in files. You can disable installation of plug-in files. See Setting plug-in preferences.
You restrict what users do in a file by requiring them to enter an account name and password when
they attempt to open a file. The account name and password they enter determines which privilege
set will be used to limit what they can do in a file. See About accounts, privilege sets, and extended
privileges.
You can define privileges in a shared file while clients are using it. Any privilege changes that affect
a current client do not take effect until the client closes and reopens the file.
Privileges protecting an external data source
The external data source provides the access privileges for the data. You can add access privilege
requirements in FileMaker
Pro. See Editing ODBC data sources.