Backup Encryption in SQL Server 2016
By Tom Nonmacher
In recent years, the importance of data security has become paramount. With SQL Server 2016, the need for data encryption, particularly for backups, has been addressed. The introduction of the Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) feature, which was first introduced in SQL Server 2008, provides real-time I/O encryption and decryption of the data and log files, thus offering a significant enhancement to the security of SQL Server databases. This blog post will delve into the details of Backup Encryption in SQL Server 2016.
SQL Server 2016 provides an option to encrypt the data while creating a backup. This feature ensures that the data is safe even if the physical media (like tapes and disks) are stolen. The encryption options are available in the BACKUP command and can be used with TDE-enabled databases. Here is an example of how to create an encrypted backup using T-SQL:
BACKUP DATABASE TestDB
TO DISK = 'D:\TestDB.bak'
WITH COMPRESSION,
ENCRYPTION
(
ALGORITHM = AES_256,
SERVER CERTIFICATE = TestDB_Cert
)
In the above example, the TestDB database is backed up to the TestDB.bak file with compression and encryption. The encryption algorithm used is AES_256 and the server certificate is TestDB_Cert. The encryption algorithms available are: AES 128, AES 192, AES 256, and Triple DES.
The SQL Server 2017 offers the same backup encryption features as its predecessor with more enhancements. However, it's worth noting that while SQL Server has built-in support for backup encryption, the same does not hold true for other database technologies such as MySQL 5.7 and DB2 11.1. These systems require the use of third-party tools or custom scripts to achieve the same level of backup encryption.
Azure SQL, Microsoft's cloud-based database service, also supports backup encryption. It uses TDE for encryption at rest, which includes backups. The key management is fully managed by Azure, so there's no need for you to worry about key storage or rotation. The encryption process is transparent and doesn't affect the performance of your databases.
In summary, SQL Server 2016's backup encryption feature plays a crucial role in data protection. Whether your data resides on premises or in the cloud, using SQL Server 2016 or 2017, you can rest assured that your backups are secure. However, if you're using other database technologies such as MySQL 5.7 and DB2 11.1, you may need to explore additional options for backup encryption.