There are several levels of security to SQL Server. At the a base level, in order to be granted get access to a SQL Server, a user is required to have a login account.

There are two modes of security to SQL Server, distinguished by which program provides the authentication. NT Authentication provides that Windows NT (and/or its successors) verify verifies the identity of a user logging in. In this mode, the SQL Server will ‘trust’ that Windows NT has verified that the user is who he says he is. The second method, SQL Server authentication, it is SQL: Server that authenticates the identity of the user. SQL Server authentication is typically used for internet Internet connections, since not all internet Internet users have Windows NT, and not all NT domains are trusted. Read the rest of this entry »