Encrypting large amounts of data in SQL Server should be done with symmetric key encryption. Discover how to create the necessary key for this encryption type.
Discover how the service master key is created, what it protects and how it is protected itself, and learn about the two important security implications that arise from the protection mechanism used.
Discover how in SQL Server the different encryption keys can build a complex encryption hierarchy in which one key protects the next.
A symmetric key encryption algorithm is a cryptographic algorithm the uses the same secret key for the encryption and the decryption step. Common examples include DES, RC4 and AES of which only AES can be recommended for use.