If you save the view encrypted, you will no longer be able to alter the view definition.

  Topic last updated -- June 2007

By choosing the encryption option when saving a view, you obfuscate the view definition. After choosing this option, only the obfuscated view definition text is visible in system tables. Thus, you will not be able to alter the view definition. Choose OK to save the view in obfuscated form. Choose Cancel to cancel the Save operation.

Note that obfuscated view definitions can be reverse engineered because SQL Server must de-obfuscate view definitions for execution. In SQL Server 2000, the obfuscated text is visible in the syscomments system table and may be susceptible to de-obfuscation attempts.