Datenbankverschlüsselung

Datenbankverschlüsselung refers to the process of encrypting data stored within a database. This is done to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, whether through direct database breaches or by gaining access to the underlying storage media. The primary goal is to ensure data confidentiality and integrity.

There are several methods for implementing database encryption. Full disk encryption encrypts the entire storage drive where the database resides, making the data unreadable if the physical disk is stolen. Transparent data encryption (TDE) is a database-level encryption that encrypts the data files and log files at rest. This means the encryption and decryption happen automatically and are largely invisible to the application accessing the database. Column-level encryption allows specific sensitive columns within a table to be encrypted, providing more granular control over data protection. Application-level encryption involves encrypting data before it is even sent to the database, meaning the database itself never sees the unencrypted data.

The choice of encryption method depends on factors such as the type of data being protected, performance requirements, and the security policies of the organization. Encryption can introduce performance overhead, as the database system needs to spend resources on encrypting and decrypting data. However, the security benefits often outweigh these costs, especially when dealing with highly sensitive information like financial records, personal health information, or personally identifiable information. Proper key management is crucial for any database encryption strategy, as losing the encryption keys would render the data irrecoverable.