Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for Microsoft SQL Server

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) encrypts SQL Server data files to protect data at rest. The encryption uses a Database Encryption Key (DEK) that is secured by a certificate stored in the master database or by an asymmetric key protected by an External Key Management (EKM) module like Akeyless.

Prerequisites

Ensure the following conditions are met before proceeding with the configuration:

• MSSQL is deployed directly on a Windows Server environment.
  • TDE does not support:
    • MSSQL running in Docker (not supported by Microsoft).
    • Azure SQL Managed Databases or Managed Instances (only support Azure Key Vault, not external KMS options).
  • However, SQL Virtual Machine (VM) in Azure is supported, as it behaves similarly to running SQL Server on a VM.
• Ensure you have Administrator privileges on the Windows Server and MSSQL.
• Install the required .NET Framework to avoid issues with the sqlcrypt.conf file generation.

Install the Akeyless EKM Provider

• Download and run the Akeyless EKM provider by executing the following curl command:

curl https://akeylessservices.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/services/akeyless-crypto-provider/release/latest/AkeylessEkmProviderInstaller.msi --output AkeylessEkmProviderInstaller.msi

• Run the MSI installer and follow the wizard installation steps:
  • Enter your Akeyless Gateway URL (port 8081) when prompted.
  • Choose the path in Akeyless to store the keys.
  • Choose the OS installation path and save it for later reference. This process will:
    • Copy the .dll files.
    • Create the configuration file (sqlcrypt.conf), which can be edited later.

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Note

Note: If the installer does not generate the sqlcrypt.conf file, refer to the Troubleshooting section below.

Configure the Akeyless EKM Provider

• Enable the EKM provider on the MSSQL server:

USE master;
GO
sp_configure 'show advanced', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE;
GO
sp_configure 'EKM provider enabled', 1;
GO
RECONFIGURE;
GO

• Create the Akeyless EKM provider using the .dll file from the installation folder:

CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER Akeyless
FROM FILE = 'C:\Program Files\Akeyless\Akeyless Ekm Provider\AkeylessEkm.dll';

• Create a SQL CREDENTIAL that will be used by system administrators to access Akeyless from the SQL Server, for example, using an API Key:

CREATE CREDENTIAL akeyless_tde
WITH IDENTITY = '<ACCESS_ID>', SECRET = '<ACCESS_KEY>'
FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER Akeyless;
GO

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Note

Make sure to replace <ACCESS_ID> and <ACCESS_KEY> with your actual API Key credentials from Akeyless.

• Assign the SQL CREDENTIAL to a privileged user (replace [DOMAIN\login] with your privileged user format):

ALTER LOGIN [DOMAIN\login]
ADD CREDENTIAL akeyless_tde;
GO

• Create an asymmetric key for the EKM provider. This creates a key in Akeyless called SQL_Server_Key. To work with an existing key, add CREATION_DISPOSITION = OPEN_EXISTING. Supported algorithms: RSA_2048, RSA_3072, RSA_4096

CREATE ASYMMETRIC KEY akls_ekm_login_key
FROM PROVIDER Akeyless
WITH ALGORITHM = RSA_2048,
PROVIDER_KEY_NAME = 'SQL_Server_Key';
GO

📘

Note

Note for Clusters: When working with a cluster, execute the above command only on the Primary server. On all other servers, use:

CREATE ASYMMETRIC KEY akls_ekm_login_key
FROM PROVIDER Akeyless
WITH PROVIDER_KEY_NAME = 'SQL_Server_Key',
CREATION_DISPOSITION=OPEN_EXISTING;

• Create another SQL credential that the database engine (TDE) will use:

CREATE CREDENTIAL akls_ekm_tde_cred
WITH IDENTITY = '<ACCESS_ID>', SECRET = '<ACCESS_KEY>'
FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER Akeyless;
GO

• Create a login used by the database engine (TDE), and associate the new credential:

CREATE LOGIN akls_EKM_Login
FROM ASYMMETRIC KEY akls_ekm_login_key;
GO

ALTER LOGIN akls_EKM_Login
ADD CREDENTIAL akls_ekm_tde_cred;
GO

• Create the database encryption key that will be used for TDE (replace AdventureWorks with your actual database name). Supported algorithms are AES_128 or AES_256:

USE [AdventureWorks];
GO
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
WITH ALGORITHM = AES_128
ENCRYPTION BY SERVER ASYMMETRIC KEY akls_ekm_login_key;
GO

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Note

This does not create a new key in the Akeyless platform. The key is created inside the database and encrypted using the key from Akeyless.

• Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE):

ALTER DATABASE [AdventureWorks]
SET ENCRYPTION ON;
GO

Verification of TDE Configuration

To verify that TDE is properly configured and the database is encrypted, you can use the following SQL query:

SELECT db.name AS DatabaseName, 
       dm.encryption_state,
       dm.encryption_state_desc,
       dm.encryptor_type
FROM sys.dm_database_encryption_keys dm
JOIN sys.databases db ON db.database_id = dm.database_id
WHERE db.name = 'TestDB'; -- Replace with your actual database name

• The encryption_state value should return 3, which means "Encrypted".

For example, the result should look similar to:

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during the installation or configuration, follow these steps:

• Missing sqlcrypt.conf File:
  • If the sqlcrypt.conf file was not created during installation, it could be due to a .NET Framework issue. The file is generated using a C# utility, so ensure that the correct version of .NET Framework is installed.
• Check Windows Event Viewer Logs:
  • All errors encountered during installation and configuration will be logged in the Windows Event Viewer Logs. This is useful for diagnosing the issue.
• Default Configuration Values:
  • If the sqlcrypt.conf file is missing, the system defaults to using the Akeyless public gateway (https://api.akeyless.io) and the default root base path (/).
• Configuration Changes:
  • Any changes made to the sqlcrypt.conf file after it is created require a restart of the “SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)” service for the changes to take effect.