title: How to securely store a connection string in a WinForms application?
body: <p>I need to know what is the common way to store a SQL server connection string for a WinForms application in VB.NET.</p>
  
  <p>I have searched the net and I found answers to each of the following questions:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>How do I read app.config values</li>
  <li>How to do it in ASP.NET <sub>Reference: <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/q/9908021/1313143">this SO question</a>.</sub></li>
  <li>How do I store a connection string (unencrypted thus unsafe)</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I would like a full answer on how to store a connection string in VB.NET in <code>app.config</code> (or <code>settings.settings</code> if it's better) securely.</p>
  
  <p>Is <code>app.config</code> the right place? Can I encrypt these values?</p>