I dont use Oracle, but MS SQL had/has windows authentication and SQL server authentication.
Windows authentication is using the windows login accounts to access db’s and tables and the sql server authentication is setting up an account on the sql server to access db’s and tables.
Basically the credentials, ie username and password are stored in different locations, but the credentials still need to be mapped to database(s), tables and the appropriate read write access for tables and records, stored procedures and views.
So this link explains how your clarion app will be using a trusted connection.
SQL connect string - questions - ClarionHub
and this looks like the Oracle way of doing it.
Provider=OraOLEDB.Oracle;Data Source=MyOracleDB;OSAuthent=1;
OSAuthent=1 appears to be the equivalent of Trusted_Connection=Yes from the MS SQL context, so once your windows login accounts are mapped to the oracle db, tables and permissions they need, the clarion app will just need a connection string that uses the windows logins that are mapped.
I dont know if this is more secure or not considering how easy it is to get software which can pull out the windows usernames and passwords from a machine. II found one which was a windows app and MS defender treats it as a virus or malware, but it did it, so the windows login account to access a db is convenient, but it puts another egg in one basket for security. Put another way, having another username and password which has to be typed into the app in order to access the db is another hurdle for users and hackers.
Both methods still need to be monitored for failed login attempts though. As the db authentication route would also typically involve a network server, network traffic analysis should make it easier to spot malware coming from a workstation attempting to access the db once they are on a workstation which would probably mean also have access to someone’s accounts.
Lots of possibilities, but I always think if its easy for me, its easy for a hacker.
fwiw