On Thu, 2005-12-15 at 16:23, David Pratt wrote: > Hi Jim. Many thanks for your reply. I guess this is not so great news. I > am sort of at a loss as to what direction to take. I need a db > connection on a couple of threads minimum in my app but also need to > ensure that the information is secure. Let's face facts. The second you hand the user a CDROM with your application and encoded data on it, and the application has a way to access it, it's only a matter of time before the user, by hacking the application, can get access to it. There is one, and only one, real solution. Host the data yourself and require the user to connect remotely to you. For instances of attempts to make things secure on remote systems, see the recent Sony - F4I - root kit debacle.