wGrow - Team Notes

Abstract:

This technical article provides an overview of SQL Server Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) and demonstrates how to implement TDE in an ASP.NET web project. The article explains the benefits of TDE, the encryption process, and provides sample SQL and C# code to illustrate its use for securing sensitive data in a web application.

Introduction

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is a security feature in SQL Server that provides real-time encryption and decryption of data at rest. TDE protects sensitive data without requiring application changes by encrypting the entire database, log files, and database backups. In this article, we will explore the process of enabling TDE in SQL Server and demonstrate how to use it in an ASP.NET web project.

Benefits of TDE

1. Protects data at rest: TDE ensures that data stored in the database, log files, and backups are encrypted, making it more difficult for unauthorized users to access sensitive information.
2. Real-time encryption and decryption: TDE encrypts and decrypts data in real-time, minimizing performance overhead and allowing seamless access to the encrypted data for authorized users.
3. No application changes required: TDE operates at the database level, which means that no modifications are needed in the application code to implement encryption.

Enabling TDE in SQL Server

To enable TDE in SQL Server, follow these steps:

1. Create a master key
The master key is a symmetric key used to protect the certificate's private key. To create a master key, execute the following SQL script:

USE master;
GO

CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '';
GO

2. Create a certificate
A certificate is required to protect the database encryption key (DEK). Run the following SQL script to create a certificate:

USE master;
GO

CREATE CERTIFICATE TDE_Certificate
WITH SUBJECT = 'TDE Certificate';
GO

3. Create a database encryption key (DEK)
A DEK is used to encrypt the database. To create a DEK, execute the following SQL script:

USE YourDatabase;
GO

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256
ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE TDE_Certificate;
GO

4. Enable TDE for the database
Finally, enable TDE for the database by running the following SQL script:

USE YourDatabase;
GO

ALTER DATABASE YourDatabase
SET ENCRYPTION ON;
GO

Using TDE in an ASP.NET Web Project

Since TDE works at the database level, no changes are required in the ASP.NET web project's code. However, it's crucial to ensure that the connection string in the web.config file is secure. Use Integrated Security and avoid storing plaintext passwords.

Conclusion

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) provides an effective solution for securing sensitive data in ASP.NET web projects without requiring application code changes. By encrypting data at rest and seamlessly decrypting it in real-time for authorized users, TDE offers a robust security measure that helps protect sensitive information stored in SQL Server databases. Implementing TDE is a relatively simple process that involves creating a master key, certificate, and database encryption key, and then enabling TDE for the database.

Do note that Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) does have an impact on the performance of a database, but the impact is generally minimal (2~5% in general). TDE encrypts and decrypts data in real-time as it is written to and read from the disk, which adds some overhead to the database operations. However, the encryption and decryption processes are highly optimized, and modern hardware typically has built-in support for these cryptographic operations, which helps to minimize the performance impact.

Monitor closely if TDE is enabled to a large scale database.