We use cryptography every day: on the internet, mobile devices, ATM machines, and in almost every aspect of our digital life. In a nutshell, cryptography is about data scrambling and hiding, depending on the implementation and user-specific needs.
A database is the spine of every information system and is the specific target of potential data thieves. SQL Server has one of the best cryptographic set of features that we can use to create a state of the art security and privacy-aware systems.
Cryptography has two major terms:
- Encryption: The process of creating an obfuscated message from plain text using a key
- Decryption: The process of returning plain text from an obfuscated message using a key
From the perspective of how data is encrypted/decrypted there are two types of encryption:
- Symmetric cryptography
- Asymmetric cryptography
It's important to understand how each works and the differences between the two types. Based on that understanding, you will need to make the...