If there's a database password set, all users must enter that password to open the database. The database password is encrypted and stored in the header of a database file. Access might erroneously report the database password protected instead of damaged. The most powerful yet complex way to secure a database is to set up user-level security. Each workgroup information file contains MSysAccounts table that stores all user and group account names, encrypted user passwords and SIDs.
Access uses SIDs to check user's permissions.
VBA passwords are encrypted and stored in the database file. Encryption is reversible and it is recommended to convert the database into an 'MDE' format, making you proprietary code harder to decompile. The site has password recovery tools for the most popular office software, ranging from MS Access to FileMaker and from MS Word to WordPerfect. Access Key is a Password Recovery Kit module that recovers both database and user-level security accounts passwords.