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+--- Thread: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data (/showthread.php?tid=54441)
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One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - kap - 05-06-2008
To work on a special project, I will be taking home a file of 185 records containing SSNs of students. How do I securely block/hide the SSN column? Can I password protect a single column; not the entire file? TiA
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - BigGuynRusty - 05-06-2008
[quote kap]To work on a special project, I will be taking home a file of 185 records containing SSNs of students. How do I securely block/hide the SSN column? Can I password protect a single column; not the entire file? TiA I am not joking.
Get WRITTEN Signed Permission to take this data out of your workplace!.
BGnR
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - AlphaDog - 05-06-2008
Excellent advice, especially since you were just telling us last week about the burglaries in your 'hood! Are you sure you want to do this? In today's world, I wouldn't put myself at risk like that.
If it's unavoidable that you take it home, can you take only a copy of the files, with all of the SSNs deleted from the copy?
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - JJ - 05-06-2008
Kap,
I don't know who your employer is, but I have to agree that you should not take this info home with you.
I suspect you are asking how to blank/erase this info before you take it home. Am I correct?
JJ
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - kap - 05-06-2008
BGnR,
I wouldn't make a move without the Assistant Dean saying, "Go!". But your advice on obtaining a written permission is a job saving one! Thanks!
AlphaDog,
The burglaries in my 'hood is more of a reason why I want to secure the data even more so. The SSN column is used as the primary key to all records. If I remove it from the file, I'd better be sure I can re-attach it later on without messing up its relation to the rest of the records.
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - GGD - 05-06-2008
Do you really need to work with live data to develop the spread sheet, even at work?
Can you replace the student names with names of current/past public figures (Presidents, Vice Presidents, Attorney Generals, Supreme Court justices, Senators, Congress members, or just random combinations of first/last names). And maybe just a sequential list of SSNs starting at 123-45-6789.
And maybe throw in this guy's name and SSN.
http://www.lifelock.com/lifelock-for-people
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - freeradical - 05-06-2008
I've always thought that Excel was the single most dangerous product to use as a database.
Maybe you should use Access instead?
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - kap - 05-06-2008
JJ,
To answer your question, "Yes."
GGD,
Yes, I have developed a dummy sample of the file which contains fake SSN, Name, Address, etc. The the most important elements of the file are the Loan Amount, Paid Amount and the Balance. That is what I have been working on: recover the money from the students who are defaulting on their loans.
freeradical,
An XLS file has already been created by a former employee. I have exported the file into a MDB one.
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - BigGuynRusty - 05-06-2008
An incident happened to a very good buddy of mine involving personal data.
He was told to create a "Birthday Database" for the company so that employees could get a BD Greeting every year.
One of the executive assistants took offense that someone had looked at her personal info, and someone had to take the fall.
Not the executive that ordered the "Birthday Database"!
He blamed my buddy.
Sad thing was that my buddy always told everyone to get written permission whenever dealing with sensitive personal info.
BGnR
Re: One More Excel inquiry: Secure a column of data - kap - 05-06-2008
I thought real hard about all the responses to my inquiry. Really, it's not worth losing neither my job nor my sleep ... my conscience will not let me be should anything happen to all those SSN. Too big of a risk so I shall forgo the idea of taking work home. Hey, I am just a hard-working and conscientious public servant. Umm, not to say that any of you aren't
Again, thanks to everyone for the honest and helpful input.