Secure access to a Microsoft Access Database

Question

I have a server set up with medical files in a Access database. I am taking over this job from an existing guy who has vanished, so I don't know all the details of the system. I can find out specific details as needed.

It is currently set up so that the local area network has access to the database file. However sometimes the doctor on call might be called out at 2 in the morning and need to check the patient data.

I have two ideas at present:

• Use VNC to login to a dedicated computer in the office.
• Use Hamachi to simulate having the doctor's computer in the office.

Is there a good reason why either or both of these plans is a a really bad idea? Is there a good way to do this from inside Access?

Answer 1

If you don't have details of the existing system, using a VPN is likely to be the simplest route. This way you can not only use the required level of authentication (depending on your country this may vary, but accessing patient data usually requires strong authentication, logging etc) but also mean you don't need to alter the existing application.

VNC or Hamachi can be very useful to make it simple for the doctor, but from a security perspective it's the tunnel/VPN that you communicate through which you want to concentrate on.