Solved: With security in mind, which concept rates higher?

[Aussiebear]

I was just wondering, with no particular project in mind, which would make a better security method, in an environment where most of the employees would have some knowledge of Excel ( or VBA).

"A workbook with user and Admin access to selected sheets or two workbooks that have a linked method of writing to each other?"

For example can a workbook have a front end (user sheet/s) and back end ( Admin sheets) and still be reasonably secure? I understand that Excel doesn't have good security as anyone with reasonable knowlege can get around the protection, or can a pair of workbooks have a Parent/ child type relationship so that any attempt to get around the security method on the parent workbook by anyone other than the Admin person can be construed as an attempted security breech?

[Aussiebear]

No opinions..... okay then.

[Bob Phillips]

Ted,

Personally, I only believe in breaking workbooks to separate the data from the logic, not two logic books.

There are many other ways of hiding data, and you could layer them if you wanted to make it more difficult. As you say, you won't get it foolproof, but you could make it difficult (but don't forget, that also impacts its maintainability).

Is VB and a DLL not an option?

[Aussiebear]

Hi Bob, Can you explain more about the VB & DLL please?

[Bob Phillips]

A DLL would be an executable where you would put some of the functionally critical code. This would be in pure VB, not VBA, so you would compile it into a DLL, and then call into the DLL from within VBA. The code in the DLL, being compiled, would not be viewable, and not changeable.

[Aussiebear]

Hmmm.. All that last bit is well beyond my dreams let alone capabilities. So in summary if one was to create a spreadsheet "masterpiece" which involved both front and back end users... you are suggesting that if i wanted some sort of you beaut knock 'em dead security, I should engage someone into recreating my "masterpiece" in vb, creating a DLL which I could call from my spreadsheet.... or words to that effect?

Only see one little problem with that Bob,...I haven't got to the masterpiece bit yet.

[Bob Phillips]

Hmmm.. All that last bit is well beyond my dreams let alone capabilities. So in summary if one was to create a spreadsheet "masterpiece" which involved both front and back end users... you are suggesting that if i wanted some sort of you beaut knock 'em dead security, I should engage someone into recreating my "masterpiece" in vb, creating a DLL which I could call from my spreadsheet.... or words to that effect?

Yes, but being smart, you could do most in VBA, but just do THE CRITICAL bit in the DLL, a bit that cannot be second-guessed, with which the application just doesn't work without.