6    FileMaker Pro Web Publishing Security Guidelines

When assessing the physical security of your network, consider that the use of wireless networking 

devices, such as the Apple AirPort and other 802.11b networking cards and base stations, can pose 

some special security challenges. These devices can broadcast your network traffic beyond the 

walls of your building, so it is extremely important to encrypt your wireless networking signals. If 

you choose to use these devices as part of your network, always use the maximum level of signal 

encryption available. 

Operating System  security

The security mechanisms of the operating system on the host computer need to be used to ensure 

that access to the directories holding the FileMaker Pro databases and related files are properly 

controlled. System user IDs, passwords and directory access privileges should be controlled so that 

only the people authorized to administer and maintain the FileMaker databases or the system as a 

whole will have access to the files.

You should review settings for remote access, such as file sharing and FTP, to ensure that direct 

access to upload or download files from the host computer are restricted in a manner that prevents 

inappropriate access to your files.

Firewall protection

When you share your FileMaker Pro databases over the Web or an intranet, you use the TCP/IP 

networking protocol. You may also use the TCP/IP protocol when you share databases peer to 

peer, or through FileMaker Server. TCP/IP conforms to standards that are supported by many 

different operating systems, including Mac OS, Windows, Linux, UNIX, and others. The wide use 

of TCP/IP is both a strength and a weakness. Like a highway that carries a lot of traffic, TCP/IP is 

excellent for moving data, but the protocol itself doesn't provide much protection for the data that 

travels over it.

Whenever you host a FileMaker Pro database using TCP/IP, the same protocol that allows your 

guests to connect to your data can also allow uninvited visitors access to your host machine, server 

software, databases, and perhaps even to other guest machines on your internal network. So it is  

important to control the access to these components, and place some barricades in the path of any 

uninvited visitors.

The most common barricade method used is the 

firewall

, which separates your network into two 

distinct environments: a public environment that is termed  outside the firewall,  and a private 

environment, usually referred to as  behind the firewall.  Users on the outside of the firewall will 

only have access to those TCP/IP or hardware addresses you choose to expose to outside guests. 

This allows you to concentrate your security on those server machines that are exposed, while 

allowing your other machines behind the firewall to operate with fewer safeguards.