General availability: Always Encrypted for Azure SQL Database

Always Encrypted aims at enabling you to confidently store sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or government identification numbers, in Azure SQL Database. Always Encrypted helps ensure that sensitive data is encrypted and decrypted inside client applications or application servers by using keys that are never revealed to Azure SQL Database. As a result, even database administrators, other high-privilege users, or attackers gaining illegal access to Azure SQL Database can't access the data.

Next steps:

• Configure Always Encrypted in your database by using SQL Server Management Studio, by using PowerShell, or by creating a database project in SQL Server Data Tools.
• Develop an application by using Always Encrypted.

For more information:

• Review the SQL Database tutorial: Protect sensitive data with Always Encrypted.
• Visit the main Always Encrypted documentation page.
• Read our team’s SQL Server Security blog.