Managing security

Although your operating system includes file security features, you should use FileMaker Pro access privileges as the fundamental way to control access to and protect the security of your files. You can define accounts and privilege sets to restrict:

• Data access. Make particular tables, fields, or records view-only, or hide them completely.

• Layout access. Prevent users from modifying layouts in Layout mode.

• Access to value lists and scripts. Prevent users from accessing and modifying value lists and scripts, and from running scripts.

• Access to file sharing. Individually enable file sharing via the FileMaker Network, web publishing, and ODBC/JDBC for only particular users.

• Outputting data. Prevent users from printing or exporting data.

• Menu access. Make only a limited set of menu commands available.

• Schema access. Control access to the organization of the tables, fields in each table, and relationships between fields and tables in a file.

In the Manage Security dialog box, you can easily grant or remove access for a user or group and select their privilege set. To control more complex security settings, such as creating privilege sets or authorizing external file access, use the Advanced Security Settings dialog box.

It's especially important to protect FileMaker Pro files that are shared with other clients. These shared files are more vulnerable because they may be more widely available over a network. In fact, some FileMaker hosts may be configured to require certain account or privilege set restrictions.

You can define privileges in a shared file while clients are using it. Any privilege changes that affect a current client do not take effect until the client closes and reopens the file.