What's the CMK?

Using Backup Encryption with an External Certificate

Learn how to load an external certificate into SQL Server to encrypt your backups.

Overcoming the Top Barriers to Data Encryption

While IT security seeks to protect physical assets like networked computers, databases, and servers, encryption is a must-have element in any security strategy – it protects the data that lives on and between those assets.

How to Remove Transparent Data Encryption From a Database

There may be a time when you want to turn off transparent data encryption on one of your TDE enabled databases. In this tip, Greg Larsen shows you how simple it is to remove Transparent Data Encryption.

Data Encryption Using Always Encrypted in SQL Server

The key challenge for application developers is to build a foolproof system to ensure data security. This is not only more intense, but more complex these days, as many organizations are planning to move their applications to the cloud. Read on to learn more.

Remove Database Encryption Key on all user databases

Below script will remove database encryption key, database certificate and master key on all the user databases.

For tempdb database, you need to restart the SQL Server Instance to complete the process.

Note: It is advisable to take transaction log backup before this activity is performed.

Disk Encryption and The Impact to DBAs

As security threats proliferate, the need for encryption will continue to rise. We who are the Guardians of the Data must be ready to make SQL Server respond and to manage the performance issues that are inherent in every data encryption solution.

Using Database Master Keys in SQL Server

Learn the basics of Database Master Keys and how you can use them in SQL Server.

Decryption Woes

Encrypting SQL Server: Dynamic Data Masking

Dynamic Data Masking is a good way of rendering data unreadable for such purposes as user-acceptance testing, or demonstrating an application. It doesn't encrypt the data, and a knowledgeable SQL user can defeat it. However it provides a simple way to administer from the database what data the various users of a database application can and can not see, making it a useful tool for the developer.