The issue of security in SQL Server is complex. It sounds as if you are using SQL Server Standard security, and in that case you do have to store the password in the table, or the user would have to enter repeated passwords each time the table was opened. The preferred alternative is to use Integrated Security but with a VPN connection that may not be possible. It requires a Domain Controller, and each user needs their own userid and password. That has several advantages as it let's you track who makes changes, and you can control the permissions of each user. You might want to look at the security topics on this site.