Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) encrypts SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and Azure
SQL Data Warehouse data files, known as encrypting data at rest. You can take several
precautions to help secure the database such as designing a secure system, encrypting
confidential assets, and building a firewall around the database servers. However, in a scenario
where the physical media (such as drives or backup tapes) are stolen, a malicious party can just
restore or attach the database and browse the data. One solution is to encrypt the sensitive data in
the database and protect the keys that are used to encrypt the data with a certificate. This
prevents anyone without the keys from using the data, but this kind of protection must be
planned in advance.

TDE performs real-time I/O encryption and decryption of the data and log files. The encryption
uses a database encryption key (DEK), which is stored in the database boot record for
availability during recovery. The DEK is a symmetric key secured by using a certificate stored in
the master database of the server or an asymmetric key protected by an EKM module. TDE
protects data "at rest", meaning the data and log files. It provides the ability to comply with many
laws, regulations, and guidelines established in various industries. This enables software
developers to encrypt data by using AES and 3DES encryption algorithms without changing
existing applications.

Important

TDE does not provide encryption across communication channels. For more information about
how to encrypt data across communication channels, see Enable Encrypted Connections to the
Database Engine (SQL Server Configuration Manager).

Related topics:

 Transparent Data Encryption with Azure SQL Database

o Get started with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) on SQL Data Warehouse
o Move a TDE Protected Database to Another SQL Server
o Enable TDE on SQL Server Using EKM
o Use SQL Server Connector with SQL Encryption Features
o The SQL Server Security Blog on TDE with FAQ

About TDE
Encryption of the database file is performed at the page level. The pages in an encrypted
database are encrypted before they are written to disk and decrypted when read into memory.
TDE does not increase the size of the encrypted database.

Information applicable to SQL Database

When using TDE with SQL Database V12 the server-level certificate stored in the master
database is automatically created for you by SQL Database. To move a TDE database on SQL
Database you must decrypt the database, move the database, and then re-enable TDE on the
destination SQL Database. For step-by-step instructions for TDE on SQL Database, see
Transparent Data Encryption with Azure SQL Database.

Information applicable to SQL Server

After it is secured, the database can be restored by using the correct certificate. For more
information about certificates, see SQL Server Certificates and Asymmetric Keys.

When enabling TDE, you should immediately back up the certificate and the private key
associated with the certificate. If the certificate ever becomes unavailable or if you must restore
or attach the database on another server, you must have backups of both the certificate and the
private key or you will not be able to open the database. The encrypting certificate should be
retained even if TDE is no longer enabled on the database. Even though the database is not
encrypted, parts of the transaction log may still remain protected, and the certificate may be
needed for some operations until the full backup of the database is performed. A certificate that
has exceeded its expiration date can still be used to encrypt and decrypt data with TDE.

Encryption Hierarchy

The following illustration shows the architecture of TDE encryption. Only the database level
items (the database encryption key and ALTER DATABASE portions are user-configurable
when using TDE on SQL Database.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/security/encryption/media/tde-
architecture.gif

Using Transparent Data Encryption

To use TDE, follow these steps.

Applies to: SQL Server.

 Create a master key

 Create or obtain a certificate protected by the master key
 Create a database encryption key and protect it by the certificate
 Set the database to use encryption

The following example illustrates encrypting and decrypting the AdventureWorks2012

database using a certificate installed on the server named MyServerCert.

USE master;
GO
CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '<UseStrongPasswordHere>';
go
CREATE CERTIFICATE MyServerCert WITH SUBJECT = 'My DEK Certificate';
go
USE AdventureWorks2012;
GO
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
WITH ALGORITHM = AES_128
ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE MyServerCert;
GO
ALTER DATABASE AdventureWorks2012
SET ENCRYPTION ON;
GO

The encryption and decryption operations are scheduled on background threads by SQL Server.
You can view the status of these operations using the catalog views and dynamic management
views in the list that appears later in this topic.

Caution

Backup files of databases that have TDE enabled are also encrypted by using the database
encryption key. As a result, when you restore these backups, the certificate protecting the
database encryption key must be available. This means that in addition to backing up the
database, you have to make sure that you maintain backups of the server certificates to prevent
data loss. Data loss will result if the certificate is no longer available. For more information, see
SQL Server Certificates and Asymmetric Keys.

Commands and Functions

The TDE certificates must be encrypted by the database master key to be accepted by the
following statements. If they are encrypted by password only, the statements will reject them as
encryptors.

Important

Altering the certificates to be password-protected after they are used by TDE will cause the
database to become inaccessible after a restart.

The following table provides links and explanations of TDE commands and functions.

Command or function Purpose

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
Creates a key that is used to encrypt a database.
(Transact-SQL)
ALTER DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
Changes the key that is used to encrypt a database.
(Transact-SQL)
DROP DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY Removes the key that was used to encrypt a
(Transact-SQL) database.
ALTER DATABASE SET Options Explains the ALTER DATABASE option that is
 Command or function Purpose
(Transact-SQL) used to enable TDE.

Catalog Views and Dynamic Management Views

The following table shows TDE catalog views and dynamic management views.

Catalog view or dynamic

Purpose
management view
sys.databases (Transact-SQL) Catalog view that displays database information.
sys.certificates (Transact-SQL) Catalog view that shows the certificates in a database.
Dynamic management view that provides information
sys.dm_database_encryption_keys
about the encryption keys used in a database, and the
(Transact-SQL)
state of encryption of a database.

Permissions
Each TDE feature and command has individual permission requirements, described in the tables
shown earlier.

Viewing the metadata involved with TDE requires the VIEW DEFINITION permission on the
certificate.

Considerations
While a re-encryption scan for a database encryption operation is in progress, maintenance
operations to the database are disabled. You can use the single user mode setting for the database
to perform the maintenance operation. For more information, see Set a Database to Single-user
Mode.

You can find the state of the database encryption using the sys.dm_database_encryption_keys
dynamic management view. For more information, see the "Catalog Views and Dynamic
Management Views"section earlier in this topic).

In TDE, all files and filegroups in the database are encrypted. If any filegroups in a database are
marked READ ONLY, the database encryption operation will fail.

If a database is being used in database mirroring or log shipping, both databases will be
encrypted. The log transactions will be encrypted when sent between them.

Important
Full-text indexes will be encrypted when a database is set for encryption. Full-text indexes
created prior to SQL Server 2008 will be imported into the database during upgrade to SQL
Server 2008 or greater and they will be encrypted by TDE.

Tip

To monitor changes in the TDE status of a database, use SQL Server Audit or SQL Database
Auditing. For SQL Server, TDE is tracked under the audit action group
DATABASE_CHANGE_GROUP which can be found in SQL Server Audit Action Groups and
Actions.

Restrictions

The following operations are not allowed during initial database encryption, key change, or
database decryption:

 Dropping a file from a filegroup in the database

 Dropping the database
 Taking the database offline
 Detaching a database
 Transitioning a database or filegroup into a READ ONLY state

The following operations are not allowed during the CREATE DATABASE
ENCRYPTION KEY, ALTER DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY, DROP DATABASE
ENCRYPTION KEY, or ALTER DATABASE...SET ENCRYPTION statements.

 Dropping a file from a filegroup in the database.

 Dropping the database.
 Taking the database offline.
 Detaching a database.
 Transitioning a database or filegroup into a READ ONLY state.
 Using an ALTER DATABASE command.
 Starting a database or database file backup.
 Starting a database or database file restore.
 Creating a snapshot.

The following operations or conditions will prevent the CREATE DATABASE

ENCRYPTION KEY, ALTER DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY, DROP DATABASE
ENCRYPTION KEY, or ALTER DATABASE...SET ENCRYPTION statements.

 The database is read-only or has any read-only file groups.

 An ALTER DATABASE command is executing.
 Any data backup is running.
 The database is in an offline or restore condition.
 A snapshot is in progress.
 Database maintenance tasks.
 When creating database files, instant file initialization is not available when TDE is
enabled.

In order to encrypt the database encryption key with an asymmetric key, the asymmetric
key must reside on an extensible key management provider.

Transparent Data Encryption and Transaction Logs

Enabling a database to use TDE has the effect of "zeroing out" the remaining part of the virtual
transaction log to force the next virtual transaction log. This guarantees that no clear text is left in
the transaction logs after the database is set for encryption. You can find the status of the log file
encryption by viewing the encryption_state column in the
sys.dm_database_encryption_keys view, as in this example:

USE AdventureWorks2012;
GO
/* The value 3 represents an encrypted state
on the database and transaction logs. */
SELECT *
FROM sys.dm_database_encryption_keys
WHERE encryption_state = 3;
GO

For more information about the SQL Server log file architecture, see The Transaction Log (SQL
Server).

All data written to the transaction log before a change in the database encryption key will be
encrypted by using the previous database encryption key.

After a database encryption key has been modified twice, a log backup must be performed before
the database encryption key can be modified again.

Transparent Data Encryption and the tempdb System Database

The tempdb system database will be encrypted if any other database on the instance of SQL
Server is encrypted by using TDE. This might have a performance effect for unencrypted
databases on the same instance of SQL Server. For more information about the tempdb system
database, see tempdb Database.

Transparent Data Encryption and Replication

Replication does not automatically replicate data from a TDE-enabled database in an encrypted
form. You must separately enable TDE if you want to protect the distribution and subscriber
databases. Snapshot replication, as well as the initial distribution of data for transactional and
merge replication, can store data in unencrypted intermediate files; for example, the bcp files.
During transactional or merge replication, encryption can be enabled to protect the
communication channel. For more information, see Enable Encrypted Connections to the
Database Engine (SQL Server Configuration Manager).

Transparent Data Encryption and FILESTREAM DATA

FILESTREAM data is not encrypted even when TDE is enabled.

Transparent Data Encryption and Buffer Pool Extension

Files related to buffer pool extension (BPE) are not encrypted when database is encrypted using
TDE. You must use file system level encryption tools like Bitlocker or EFS for BPE related files.

Transparent Data Encryption and In-Memory OLTP

TDE can be enabled on a database that has In-Memory OLTP objects. In SQL Server 2016 and
Azure SQL Database In-Memory OLTP log records and data are encrypted if TDE is enabled. In
SQL Server 2014 In-Memory OLTP log records are encrypted if TDE is enabled, but files in the
MEMORY_OPTIMIZED_DATA filegroup are not encrypted.