With the increasing number of security breaches reported almost weekly, it has become crucial for companies to protect their data. One of the most effective ways to safeguard sensitive information is through encryption. While SQL Server 2005 introduced some great encryption features, many organizations are still using SQL Server 2000.
Fortunately, there are options available for SQL Server 2000 users who want to implement encryption. Our encryption guru, Michael Coles, has developed a free toolkit specifically designed for SQL Server 2000 servers and applications. This toolkit includes extended stored procedures, stored procedures, and user-defined functions that offer various encryption and hashing capabilities.
The toolkit supports the following encryption algorithms:
- AES (128, 192, or 256 bit) encryption
- DES (56 bit) encryption
- 3DES (3×56 bit) encryption
- Blowfish (32 to 448 bit) encryption
In addition to encryption, the toolkit also provides hashing capabilities using the SHA (256, 384, 512 bit) algorithm. This allows you to securely store and compare hashed values, ensuring data integrity.
Another powerful feature of the toolkit is regular expression matching, searching, and splitting. This functionality enables you to perform complex pattern matching and manipulation on your data, providing flexibility in data processing.
The toolkit incorporates automated secure encryption key management through Master Key and Local Key Vault tables. This ensures that your encryption keys are securely stored and managed, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.
We are currently seeking DBAs and SQL developers to help test the SQL Server 2000 encryption toolkit. Your feedback on usability, features, and recommendations for additional enhancements will be invaluable in refining the toolkit.
If you are interested in participating, please drop us a line at sjones@sqlservercentral.com. In your email, let us know how you plan to use the toolkit, whether you have prior experience with encryption, and most importantly, your favorite color (hint: purples get precedence!).
By working together, we can ensure that even SQL Server 2000 users have access to robust encryption capabilities, protecting their valuable data from potential threats.