TABLE OF CONTENTS In this chapter, we take a detailed look at data encryption and how it can be applied to protect SQL Server 2005 data. Currently, large data security breaches are occurring at an alarming rate. There has been a notable shift in cyber crime from intrusive denial of service (DoS) attacks to covert attacks targeting sensitive financial and personal data, often stored within databases. In response, several legislations/regulations have been released mandating that organizations implement adequate security controls that protect sensitive data. Some of these legislations dictate that security breaches involving sensitive information must be reported to impacted individuals.
Although other chapters in this book cover multiple effective and practical methods to secure your SQL Server 2005 database server, data encryption covered in this chapter is the last line of defense which, when implemented correctly, can provide an excellent layer of security. We will discuss side effects associated with database data encryption and the pitfalls that you should be aware of before implementing it within your environment.
Regardless of whether you are considering database data encryption as a means of satisfying regulatory compliance requirements, trying to safeguard your organization s sensitive data, or you would simply like to learn more about the encryption capabilities of SQL Server 2005, this chapter is a must read and will provide you a clear end-to-end view into the data encryption and decryption processes that can be used to protect SQL Server 2005 data.
Data encryption can be defined as the translation of...
