How to Encrypt SQL Server 2008 Database

Question

I have a database which currently is using by my application. I dodn't want to change anything in my application CORE. But I want to encrypt DATA and INFORMATION in which stored or is storing in database.

SQL Server 2008 (or 2008 R2) should have an internal mechanism to encrypt and decrypt information which given and taken to application.

How to get it to work? Encryption is needed for all of the fields in Database, numerics, strings, booleans, datetimes, etc.

Any help is appriciated

Solution 1

If you want cell level Encryption you should do it yourself (using Triggers or any other wayes) if you want Encrypt Database file you can use Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)

Solution 2

SQL 2008 has TDE or, Total Database Encryption. This encrypts the entire database and is transparent to any users of the database. The details of how to go about it can be found in these two Microsoft articles:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc278098%28v=sql.100%29.aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb934049.aspx

Comments

[Nasser Hadjloo]

+1 for encrypting Database file even though I didn't meant that.

[Loïc Lopes]

@shashwat Encryption is available at the column level with asymmetric key/symmetric key/certificate. You need TDE to encrypt the whole database and it is not available on express edition.