What do you mean "extract"? If I create a C# windows application and 
hardcode the decryption key in a string variable (so that my app can access 
the contents of the db) and compile the application into an .exe file, can 
someone really find out the key just by using the .exe file? I know there's 
ways to reverse engineer applications but I don't know you could extract 
pieces of code like that. If they can find the key like that, does that 
mean that all of my C# code is available to them aswell? Thank you for your 
concern, but the application I'm creating is for personal use only, I'm not 
planning on making it public. It's just an application I plan to carry 
around on my usb to check for new email messages and I plan to store the 
email credentials on the db and some other application settings. I just 
want to encrypt the email credentials in case I ever lose the usb drive.

On Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 9:44:27 PM UTC, Jens Alfke wrote:
>
>
> On Jan 8, 2015, at 11:55 AM, Jsparrow <[email protected] <javascript:>> 
> wrote:
>
> I see. I'll have to go with encryption then. The key can always be 
> hardcoded in the application anyway. Thanks for the assistance.
>
>
> That's not secure! A hacker can very easily extract the key from the app 
> and use it to decrypt anyone's database. (This sort of thing happens all 
> the time, sadly.)
>
> It would be irresponsible of you to promise data security to your users 
> and not actually deliver it. And depending on the specific situation and 
> the country, it could be illegal. For example, if this were a healthcare 
> related app to be used in the USA, you could be violating HIPAA regulations 
> by providing insufficient data security.
>
> What exactly do you need the data security for, and what sorts of attacks 
> are you trying to prevent?
>
> —Jens
>

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