Introducing Azure Key Vault
Encrypting data in some form is a core requirement for many solutions; however, there are different ways we can encrypt data.
The most basic is encryption at rest. Storage services in Azure use encryption at rest by default – this includes Virtual Machine disks, storage accounts, and even SQL Server. To encrypt data, Azure uses Microsoft-managed keys; however, there is the option to use keys managed by yourself. When using customer-managed keys, you need to store them in a safe place that your services can access in a tightly controlled manner – because if you can get access to the keys, you can decrypt the data.
Important note
Data encryption at rest uses a key, a randomly generated set of bits used with a mathematical algorithm to scramble data. The same key is then used to decrypt (unscramble) the data. Much like a password, the length and complexity of the key determine its strength.
As well as encrypting data at rest, virtual machines...