Question How do I secure my SQL Express 2008 instance?

[Administrator]

Hello,

I ended up having to ditch SQL Server Compact Edition and move towards SQL Server Express 2008 in my Windows app. In the end it's a great move, it's a far better database solution, as you know!

My concern is that I don't want my tech savvy customers looking at the instance and databases. Several of the databases contain sensitive information that I am required to protect (catalogs of data, nothing like credit cards). So how can I prevent someone from logging into an instance with Windows credentials, etc., so no one but my app can access it? The app would use a username/password to access the instance.

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to tips on locking down and protecting my own custom instance <machinename\myinstancename>. (I am not using the SQLEXPRESS instance, I'm installing my own named instance, by the way.

 

[jmcilhinney]

I'm no SQL Server guru but you would secure a SQL Server Express the same way as you would SQL Server. You would create a SQL Server login and then limit access to your database(s) to that login. I don't know all the specifics but it can be done using Management Studio Express or by executing SQL statements against the instance.