Securely connect MS Access database front-end to MySQL back-end on web host?

We have a fairly simple M$ Access db, split into front-end (forms, reports, etc.) and back-end (tables). Currently looking for a way to get the tables with all the critical data off of one desktop and hopefully into a MySQL database on our web host, and be able to connect to it from multiple PCs (still probably only one or two people co开发者_开发问答nnecting to it at any give time), and eventually, hopefully, migrate to a web application when time allows. Many of the examples I've read about people connecting an Access db front-end to a MySQL back-end seem to imply that they are doing so on a LAN, probably behind a firewall, etc.

Is it at all safe to connect a M$ Access front-end to a MySQL backend when that mysql server is running on a remote web host? Does the ODBC connector take care of encryption?

TIA,

Monte

You could use putty to mount a ssh tunnel to your mysql server and redirect the remote mysql port to your machine.

Using putty is pretty straightforward:

Give it your mysql server dns name as the host and go to "Connection/SSH/Tunnels", there you define the local port to connect in the "Source Port" field (e.g. 3307). In the the "Destination" field put the dns name of your mysql server followed by a colon and the port mysqld is running in (e.g. mysql.example.org:3306).

Save this as a profile then connect and the remote mysql port will be availbable locally on port 3307.

Just make sure you restrict the user because by default he will have an ssh shell on the server. Setting up key authentication would also be practical because you won't have to enter a password to connect to the server (but be sure to protect your key on disk by encrypting it).

EDIT: It seems the mysql odbc connector support ssl, you could use that too but I'd personnally choose to use SSH anyway as you will have it already on your mysql server.