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SQL Server 2008 Encryption Keys - Symmetric Keys
10 November 2008, 8:00 pm

Symmetric keys are at the bottom of the SQL Server encryption key hierarchy. A symmetric key is used to encrypt other symmetric keys or data. Because symmetric key encryption is so much faster than asymmetric encryption and does not suffer the same data-l […]

SQL Server 2008 Encryption Keys - Certificates
8 November 2008, 5:11 pm

Certificates are another tool provided by SQL Server for asymmetric encryption. A certificate is basically an asymmetric key public key/private key pair containing additional data describing the certificate. The additional data includes a start date, expi […]

SQL Server 2008 Encryption Keys - Asymmetric Keys
7 November 2008, 12:04 am

SQL Server encryption provides support for asymmetric keys, which are actually composed of a pair of encryption keys: a public key and a private key. The private key can have a key length of 512, 1,024, or 2,048 bits. SQL Server provides the following sta […]

SQL Server 2008 Encryption Keys - Database Master Keys
3 November 2008, 9:47 pm

The SQL Server encryption key hierarchy includes a single DMK for each database. The DMK directly encrypts asymmetric keys and certificates that can be used to encrypt symmetric keys. Symmetric keys are used, in turn, to encrypt other symmetric keys and d […]

SQL Server 2008 Encryption Keys - Service Master Key
29 October 2008, 10:36 pm

SQL Server 2008 includes the following T-SQL statements to alter, back up, and drop SMKs:• ALTER SERVICE MASTER KEY: Allows you to change or regenerate the SMK. This statement can be used to change the SMK and to automatically decrypt and re-encrypt the […]

SQL Server 2008 Encryption Keys
29 October 2008, 9:54 pm

The SQL Server encryption model includes built-in encryption key management patterned after the ANSI X9.17 standard. This standard defines several layers of encryption keys, which are used to encrypt other keys, which in turn are used to encrypt actual da […]