How to Encrypt Sensitive Data in Microsoft Access

Sometimes in our databases we need to encrypt certain fields, like password fields (see comments for hashed pwd video) or other sensitive data. In Microsoft Access, this is also possible by using various techniques, usually by integrating with some plug ins or third party dll libraries. However, there are not many simple, easy to install solutions, and so in this episode, I'll show you how to use a few simple add-ins that I created to enable field encryption in your database, using a .net helper I wrote that you can call from MS Access. Let's go encrypt some data!]

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This video uses concepts and the exe uses code from here. Please read it to understand which encryption we're using and how it is deployed:

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[gerfer]

This is something similar what I need in my alleyway
Need to go over this few times to understand
Thank you, please don’t close the chapter
Keep adding and very relevant for current days to keep 👹away

[interestingamerican]

This!!! This is what I wanted to learn. Thank you!

[rufiyou]

Hi, great video thanks. I wonder, is data encryption / decryption and hashing possible directly in Access (without an external program)? If so, how does this work?

[simonmaersk]

Hi Shawn. Me again. What would you recommend for hashing user passwords? I'm kinda having a hard time deciding what the best technique is, without having to install some third-party library on all my users' computers.

[michaelkrailo]

Is there any way you can prevent that cmd window from flashing on screen during the Encrypt process? I like your app, but that cmd flash doesn't look very professional. Maybe run your code in a minimized cmd window or hidden in the background window would take care of this problem. I see you have an updated version of this with the SHA256 hash in the other video, so I guess that's the version to update instead of this one.

[simonmaersk]

This is cool, thank you! This is useful for encrypting data in the database itself, but I don't think this should be used for passwords. Those should be hashed instead and never decrypted

[b-hack]

Very helpful although it would be nice if you could show how to encrypt & decrypt all txt records in a given field/table upon open/close of the frontend, i.e. sensitive data such as credit card #. Perhaps there's a better approach such as encrypt/decrypt a entire table or linking/unlinking backend tables based on user roles upon login.

[franciscocarreon]

Hi Sean, thanks for the input, but I have a problem. when decrypting a text it is the same but its length is always greater than the original.
Example 12345 its length is 5 but after decryption its length is 7.
You will know what it is due to.
Thank you.

[Pelsken]

Hi Sean, I need some help. I like to store a password in a config file like you used. I want that password converted in to a cypher like you showed and i want to be able to retreive the password when needed in my access vba code. I don't know how to do this and i don't want to hardcode a password into my vba code. Can you help me? Thanks in advance!!