Re: field encryption

janwright@xxxxxxxxx wrote: 
Do any tools exist to selectively encrypt columns of data.  For
example, if I'm creating a personnel file and want to hide the social
security numbers so I can email test files to someone?

The problem with encryption is that, except under very rare circumstances, what is encoded can be decoded. We routinely get databases in from the field to test problems - and, we have a "scrambler" routine that actually de-links records, and zeroes out any SSN's that might be there.

If the test file would still work if everyone had the same SSN, that's what I'd do - make a copy of the file, then change all of them to zeroes (or all 9's, or 123456789, or whatever).

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~   /   \  /         ~        Live from Montgomery, AL!       ~
~  /     \/       o  ~                                        ~
~ /      /\   -   |  ~          daniel@thebelowdomain         ~
~ _____ /  \      |  ~      http://www.djs-consulting.com     ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ GEEKCODE 3.12 GCS/IT d s-:+ a C++ L++ E--- W++ N++ o? K- w$ ~
~ !O M-- V PS+ PE++ Y? !PGP t+ 5? X+ R* tv b+ DI++ D+ G- e    ~
~ h---- r+++ z++++                                            ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.