• Main perf problem is that indexes on an encrypted column are useless. The encryption routines are no deterministic and so you can't encrypt a value and compare with the encrypted column. You have to decrypt the column and compare with the value. That means no index seeks.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

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