Tutorial: Getting started with Always Encrypted

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance

This tutorial teaches you how to get started with Always Encrypted. It will show you:

  • How to encrypt selected columns in your database.
  • How to query encrypted columns.

Prerequisites

For this tutorial, you need:

Step 1: Create and populate the database schema

In this step, you'll create the HR schema and the Employees table. Then, you'll populate the table with some data.

  1. Connect to your database. For instructions on how to connect to a database from SSMS, see Quickstart: Connect and query an Azure SQL Database or an Azure SQL Managed Instance using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Quickstart: Connect and query a SQL Server instance using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

  2. Open a new query window for the ContosoHR database.

  3. Paste in and execute the below statements to create a new table, named Employees.

    CREATE SCHEMA [HR];
    GO
    
    CREATE TABLE [HR].[Employees]
    (
        [EmployeeID] [int] IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL
        , [SSN] [char](11) NOT NULL
        , [FirstName] [nvarchar](50) NOT NULL
        , [LastName] [nvarchar](50) NOT NULL
        , [Salary] [money] NOT NULL
    ) ON [PRIMARY];
    
  4. Paste in and execute the below statements to add a few employee records to the Employees table.

    INSERT INTO [HR].[Employees]
    (
        [SSN]
        , [FirstName]
        , [LastName]
        , [Salary]
    )
    VALUES
    (
        '795-73-9838'
        , N'Catherine'
        , N'Abel'
        , $31692
    );
    
    INSERT INTO [HR].[Employees]
    (
        [SSN]
        , [FirstName]
        , [LastName]
        , [Salary]
    )
    VALUES
    (
        '990-00-6818'
        , N'Kim'
        , N'Abercrombie'
        , $55415
    );
    

Step 2: Encrypt columns

In this step, you'll provision a column master key and a column encryption key for Always Encrypted. Then, you'll encrypt the SSN and Salary columns in the Employees table.

SSMS provides a wizard that helps you easily configure Always Encrypted by setting up a column master key, a column encryption key, and encrypt selected columns.

  1. In Object Explorer, expand Databases > ContosoHR > Tables.

  2. Right-click the Employees table and select Encrypt Columns to open the Always Encrypted wizard.

    Screenshot of opening the Always Encrypted Wizard.

  3. Select Next on the Introduction page of the wizard.

  4. On the Column Selection page.

    1. Select the SSN and Salary columns. Choose deterministic encryption for the SSN column and randomized encryption for the Salary column. Deterministic encryption supports queries, such as point lookup searches that involve equality comparisons on encrypted columns. Randomized encryption doesn't support any computations on encrypted columns.
    2. Leave CEK-Auto1 (New) as the column encryption key for both columns. This key doesn't exist yet and will be generated by the wizard.
    3. Select Next.

    Screenshot of the Always Encrypted Wizard column selection.

  5. On the Master Key Configuration page, configure a new column master key that will be generated by the wizard. First, you need to select where you want to store your column master key. The wizard supports two key store types:

    • Azure Key Vault - recommended if your database is in Azure
    • Windows certificate store

    In general, Azure Key Vault is the recommended option, especially if your database is in Azure.

    • To use Azure Key Vault:

      1. Select Azure Key Vault.
      2. Select Sign in and complete signing in to Azure.
      3. After you've signed in, the page will display the list of subscriptions and key vaults, you have access to. Select an Azure subscription containing the key vault, you want to use.
      4. Select your key vault.
      5. Select Next.

      Screenshot of the Always Encrypted Wizard master key selection using Azure Key Vault.

    • To use Windows certificate store:

      1. Select Windows certificate store.

      2. Leave the default selection of Current User - this will instruct the wizard to generate a certificate (your new column master key) in the Current User store.

        Screenshot of the Always Encrypted Wizard master key selection using the certificate store.

      3. Select Next.

  6. On the In-Place Encryption Settings page, no additional configuration is required because the database does not have an enclave enabled. Select Next.

  7. On the Run Settings page, you're asked if you want to proceed with encryption or generate a PowerShell script to be executed later. Leave the default settings and select Next.

  8. On the Summary page, the wizard informs you about the actions it will execute. Check all the information is correct and select Finish.

  9. On the Results page, you can monitor the progress of the wizard's operations. Wait until all operations complete successfully and select Close.

    Screenshot of the Always Encrypted Wizard summary.

  10. (Optional) Explore the changes the wizard has made in your database.

    1. Expand ContosoHR > Security > Always Encrypted Keys to explore the metadata objects for the column master key and the column encryption that the wizard created.

    2. You can also run the below queries against the system catalog views that contain key metadata.

      SELECT * FROM sys.column_master_keys;
      SELECT * FROM sys.column_encryption_keys
      SELECT * FROM sys.column_encryption_key_values
      
    3. In Object Explorer, right-click the Employees table and select Script Table as > CREATE To > New Query Editor Window. This will open a new query window with the CREATE TABLE statement for the Employees table. Note the ENCRYPTED WITH clause that appears in the definitions of the SSN and Salary columns.

    4. You can also run the below query against sys.columns to retrieve column-level encryption metadata for the two encrypted columns.

      SELECT
      [name]
      , [encryption_type]
      , [encryption_type_desc]
      , [encryption_algorithm_name]
      , [column_encryption_key_id]
      FROM sys.columns
      WHERE [encryption_type] IS NOT NULL;
      

Step 3: Query encrypted columns

  1. Connect to your database with Always Encrypted disabled for your connection.

    1. Open a new query window.
    2. Right-click anywhere in the query window and select Connection > Change Connection. This will open the Connect to Database Engine dialog.
    3. Select Options <<. This will show additional tabs in the Connect to Database Engine dialog.
    4. Select the Always Encrypted tab.
    5. Make sure Enable Always Encrypted (column encryption) isn't selected.
    6. Select Connect.

    Screenshot of the SSMS connection option for Always Encrypted disabled.

  2. Paste in and execute the following query. The query should return binary encrypted data.

    SELECT [SSN], [Salary] FROM [HR].[Employees]
    

    Screenshot of cipher text results from encrypted columns.

  3. Connect to your database with Always Encrypted enabled for your connection.

    1. Right-click anywhere in the query window and select Connection > Change Connection. This will open the Connect to Database Engine dialog.
    2. Select Options <<. This will show additional tabs in the Connect to Database Engine dialog.
    3. Select the Always Encrypted tab.
    4. Select Enable Always Encrypted (column encryption).
    5. Select Connect.

    Screenshot of the SSMS connection option for Always Encrypted enabled.

  4. Rerun the same query. Since you're connected with Always Encrypted enabled for your database connection, the client driver in SSMS will attempt to decrypt data stored in both encrypted columns. If you use Azure Key Vault, you may be prompted to sign into Azure.

    Screenshot of plaintext results from encrypted columns.

  5. Enable Parameterization for Always Encrypted. This feature allows you to run queries that filter data by encrypted columns (or insert data to encrypted columns).

    1. Select Query from the main menu of SSMS.
    2. Select Query Options....
    3. Navigate to Execution > Advanced.
    4. Make sure Enable Parameterization for Always Encrypted is checked.
    5. Select OK.

    Screenshot enabling parameterization in an existing query window.

  6. Paste in and execute the below query, which filters data by the encrypted SSN column. The query should return one row containing plaintext values.

    DECLARE @SSN [char](11) = '795-73-9838'
    SELECT [SSN], [Salary] FROM [HR].[Employees]
    WHERE [SSN] = @SSN
    
  7. Optionally, if you're using Azure Key Vault configured with the access policy permissions model, follow the below steps to see what happens when a user tries to retrieve plaintext data from encrypted columns without having access to the column master key protecting the data.

    1. Remove the key unwrap permission for yourself in the access policy for your key vault. For more information, see Assign a Key Vault access policy.
    2. Since the client driver in SSMS caches the column encryption keys acquired from a key vault for 2 hours, close SSMS and open it again. This will ensure the key cache is empty.
    3. Connect to your database with Always Encrypted enabled for your connection.
    4. Paste in and execute the following query. The query should fail with the error message indicating you're missing the required unwrap permission.
    SELECT [SSN], [Salary] FROM [HR].[Employees]
    

Next steps

See also