How Symmetric Key Is Generated
Generates a symmetric key and specifies its properties in SQL Server.
Mar 24, 2018 Just to start somewhere, let’s go over the Diffie-Hellman Public Key encryption method, which uses a symmetric key algorithm. That means that the same cipher is used to encrypt and decrypt a. Random key is generated when you access Key property of your SymmetricAlgorithm, assuming you did not set that Key before that to some predefined key. It's not generated during construction of SymmetricAlgorithm itself. Aug 11, 2016 Public-key encryption and symmetric-key encryption are two of the most fundamental cryptographic systems out there and they’re also the driving force behind the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. TLS is an evolution of Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, and it defines how applications communicate privately over a computer network (the most famous network being – yup, you guessed. Sep 04, 2018 In a Symmetric algorithm, a single key is used to encrypt the data. When encrypted with the key, the data can be decrypted using the same key. If, for example, Alice encrypts a message using the key “my-secret-key” and sends it to John, he will be able to decrypt the message correctly if and only if he uses the same key i.e.
- Generating a symmetric key. This video provides a walk through of creating symmetric keys in Java.
- The browser in return makes a pseudo-randomly generated symmetric from mouse clicks a key presses and encrypts the public key with it. On the other side, the site upon receiving the encrypted public key, uses its private key to decrypt it.
This feature is incompatible with database export using Data Tier Application Framework (DACFx). You must drop all symmetric keys before exporting.
Syntax
Arguments
Key_name
Specifies the unique name by which the symmetric key is known in the database. Temporary keys are designated when the key_name begins with one number (#) sign. For example, #temporaryKey900007. You cannot create a symmetric key that has a name that starts with more than one #. You cannot create a temporary symmetric key using an EKM provider.
AUTHORIZATION owner_name
Specifies the name of the database user or application role that will own this key.
FROM PROVIDER provider_name
Specifies an Extensible Key Management (EKM) provider and name. The key is not exported from the EKM device. The provider must be defined first using the CREATE PROVIDER statement. For more information about creating external key providers, see Extensible Key Management (EKM).
Note
This option is not available in a contained database.
KEY_SOURCE ='pass_phrase'
Specifies a pass phrase from which to derive the key.
IDENTITY_VALUE ='identity_phrase'
Specifies an identity phrase from which to generate a GUID for tagging data that is encrypted with a temporary key.
PROVIDER_KEY_NAME**='key_name_in_provider'**
Specifies the name referenced in the Extensible Key Management provider.
Note
This option is not available in a contained database.
CREATION_DISPOSITION = CREATE_NEW
Creates a new key on the Extensible Key Management device. If a key already exists on the device, the statement fails with error.
CREATION_DISPOSITION = OPEN_EXISTING
Maps a SQL Server symmetric key to an existing Extensible Key Management key. If CREATION_DISPOSITION = OPEN_EXISTING is not provided, this defaults to CREATE_NEW.
certificate_name
Specifies the name of the certificate that will be used to encrypt the symmetric key. The certificate must already exist in the database.
'password'
Specifies a password from which to derive a TRIPLE_DES key with which to secure the symmetric key. password must meet the Windows password policy requirements of the computer that is running the instance of SQL Server. Always use strong passwords.
symmetric_key_name
Specifies a symmetric key, used to encrypt the key that is being created. The specified key must already exist in the database, and the key must be open.
asym_key_name
Specifies an asymmetric key, used to encrypt the key that is being created. This asymmetric key must already exist in the database.
<algorithm>
Specify the encrypting algorithm.
Warning
Beginning with SQL Server 2016 (13.x), all algorithms other than AES_128, AES_192, and AES_256 are deprecated. To use older algorithms (not recommended), you must set the database to database compatibility level 120 or lower.
Remarks
When a symmetric key is created, the symmetric key must be encrypted by using at least one of the following: certificate, password, symmetric key, asymmetric key, or PROVIDER. The key can have more than one encryption of each type. In other words, a single symmetric key can be encrypted by using multiple certificates, passwords, symmetric keys, and asymmetric keys at the same time.
Caution
When a symmetric key is encrypted with a password instead of a certificate (or another key), the TRIPLE DES encryption algorithm is used to encrypt the password. Because of this, keys that are created with a strong encryption algorithm, such as AES, are themselves secured by a weaker algorithm.
The optional password can be used to encrypt the symmetric key before distributing the key to multiple users.
Temporary keys are owned by the user that creates them. Temporary keys are only valid for the current session.
IDENTITY_VALUE generates a GUID with which to tag data that is encrypted with the new symmetric key. This tagging can be used to match keys to encrypted data. The GUID generated by a specific phrase is always the same. After a phrase has been used to generate a GUID, the phrase cannot be reused as long as there is at least one session that is actively using the phrase. IDENTITY_VALUE is an optional clause; however, we recommend using it when you are storing data encrypted with a temporary key. Download windows 8.1 key generator free.
There is no default encryption algorithm.
Important
We do not recommend using the RC4 and RC4_128 stream ciphers to protect sensitive data. SQL Server does not further encode the encryption performed with such keys.
Information about symmetric keys is visible in the sys.symmetric_keys catalog view.
Symmetric keys cannot be encrypted by symmetric keys created from the encryption provider.
Clarification regarding DES algorithms:
- DESX was incorrectly named. Symmetric keys created with ALGORITHM = DESX actually use the TRIPLE DES cipher with a 192-bit key. The DESX algorithm is not provided. This feature is in maintenance mode and may be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.
- Symmetric keys created with ALGORITHM = TRIPLE_DES_3KEY use TRIPLE DES with a 192-bit key.
- Symmetric keys created with ALGORITHM = TRIPLE_DES use TRIPLE DES with a 128-bit key.
Deprecation of the RC4 algorithm:
Repeated use of the same RC4 or RC4_128 KEY_GUID on different blocks of data, results in the same RC4 key because SQL Server does not provide a salt automatically. Using the same RC4 key repeatedly is a well known error that will result in very weak encryption. Therefore we have deprecated the RC4 and RC4_128 keywords. This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Do not use this feature in new development work, and modify applications that currently use this feature as soon as possible.
Warning
The RC4 algorithm is only supported for backward compatibility. New material can only be encrypted using RC4 or RC4_128 when the database is in compatibility level 90 or 100. (Not recommended.) Use a newer algorithm such as one of the AES algorithms instead. In SQL Server 2019 (15.x) material encrypted using RC4 or RC4_128 can be decrypted in any compatibility level.
Permissions
Requires ALTER ANY SYMMETRIC KEY permission on the database. If AUTHORIZATION is specified, requires IMPERSONATE permission on the database user or ALTER permission on the application role. If encryption is by certificate or asymmetric key, requires VIEW DEFINITION permission on the certificate or asymmetric key. Only Windows logins, SQL Server logins, and application roles can own symmetric keys. Groups and roles cannot own symmetric keys.
Examples
A. Creating a symmetric key
The following example creates a symmetric key called JanainaKey09
by using the AES 256
algorithm, and then encrypts the new key with certificate Shipping04
.
B. Creating a temporary symmetric key
The following example creates a temporary symmetric key called #MarketingXXV
from the pass phrase: The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the sides
. The key is provisioned with a GUID that is generated from the string Pythagoras
and encrypted with certificate Marketing25
.
C. Creating a symmetric key using an Extensible Key Management (EKM) device
The following example creates a symmetric key called MySymKey
by using a provider called MyEKMProvider
and a key name of KeyForSensitiveData
. It assigns authorization to User1
and assumes that the system administrator has already registered the provider called MyEKMProvider
in SQL Server.
See Also
Choose an Encryption Algorithm
ALTER SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
DROP SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
Encryption Hierarchy
sys.symmetric_keys (Transact-SQL)
Extensible Key Management (EKM)
Extensible Key Management Using Azure Key Vault (SQL Server)
Symmetric-key algorithms[a] are algorithms for cryptography that use the same cryptographic keys for both encryption of plaintext and decryption of ciphertext. The keys may be identical or there may be a simple transformation to go between the two keys.[1] The keys, in practice, represent a shared secret between two or more parties that can be used to maintain a private information link.[2] This requirement that both parties have access to the secret key is one of the main drawbacks of symmetric key encryption, in comparison to public-key encryption (also known as asymmetric key encryption).[3][4]
Types[edit]
Symmetric-key encryption can use either stream ciphers or block ciphers.[5]
- Stream ciphers encrypt the digits (typically bytes), or letters (in substitution ciphers) of a message one at a time. An example is the Vigenère Cipher.
- Block ciphers take a number of bits and encrypt them as a single unit, padding the plaintext so that it is a multiple of the block size. Blocks of 64 bits were commonly used. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm approved by NIST in December 2001, and the GCM block cipher mode of operation use 128-bit blocks.
Implementations[edit]
Examples of popular symmetric-key algorithms include Twofish, Serpent, AES (Rijndael), Blowfish, CAST5, Kuznyechik, RC4, DES, 3DES, Skipjack, Safer+/++ (Bluetooth), and IDEA.[6]
Cryptographic primitives based on symmetric ciphers[edit]
Symmetric ciphers are commonly used to achieve other cryptographic primitives than just encryption.[citation needed]
Encrypting a message does not guarantee that this message is not changed while encrypted. Hence often a message authentication code is added to a ciphertext to ensure that changes to the ciphertext will be noted by the receiver. Message authentication codes can be constructed from symmetric ciphers (e.g. CBC-MAC).[citation needed]
However, symmetric ciphers cannot be used for non-repudiation purposes except by involving additional parties.[7] See the ISO/IEC 13888-2 standard.
Another application is to build hash functions from block ciphers. See one-way compression function for descriptions of several such methods.
Construction of symmetric ciphers[edit]
Many modern block ciphers are based on a construction proposed by Horst Feistel. Feistel's construction makes it possible to build invertible functions from other functions that are themselves not invertible.[citation needed]
Sql Symmetric Key
Security of symmetric ciphers[edit]
Symmetric ciphers have historically been susceptible to known-plaintext attacks, chosen-plaintext attacks, differential cryptanalysis and linear cryptanalysis. Careful construction of the functions for each round can greatly reduce the chances of a successful attack.[citation needed]
Key management[edit]
Key establishment[edit]
Symmetric-key algorithms require both the sender and the recipient of a message to have the same secret key.All early cryptographic systems required one of those people to somehow receive a copy of that secret key over a physically secure channel.
Nearly all modern cryptographic systems still use symmetric-key algorithms internally to encrypt the bulk of the messages, but they eliminate the need for a physically secure channel by using Diffie–Hellman key exchange or some other public-key protocol to securely come to agreement on a fresh new secret key for each message (forward secrecy).
Key generation[edit]
When used with asymmetric ciphers for key transfer, pseudorandom key generators are nearly always used to generate the symmetric cipher session keys. However, lack of randomness in those generators or in their initialization vectors is disastrous and has led to cryptanalytic breaks in the past. Therefore, it is essential that an implementation use a source of high entropy for its initialization.[8][9][10]
Reciprocal cipher[edit]
A reciprocal cipher is a cipher where, just as one enters the plaintext into the cryptography system to get the ciphertext, one could enter the ciphertext into the same place in the system to get the plaintext. A reciprocal cipher is also sometimes referred as self-reciprocal cipher.
Practically all mechanical cipher machines implement a reciprocal cipher, a mathematical involution on each typed-in letter.Instead of designing two kinds of machines, one for encrypting and one for decrypting, all the machines can be identical and can be set up (keyed) the same way.[11]Generate rsa key command.
Examples of reciprocal ciphers include:
- Beaufort cipher[12]
- Enigma machine[13]
- Marie Antoinette and Axel von Fersen communicated with a self-reciprocal cipher.[14]
- the Porta polyalphabetic cipher is self-reciprocal.[15]
- Purple cipher[16]
Practically all modern ciphers can be classified as either a stream cipher, most of which use a reciprocol XOR cipher combiner, or a block cipher, most of which use use Feistel cipher or Lai–Massey scheme with a reciprocal transformation in each round.
Notes[edit]
- ^Other terms for symmetric-key encryption are secret-key, single-key, shared-key, one-key, and private-key encryption. Use of the last and first terms can create ambiguity with similar terminology used in public-key cryptography. Symmetric-key cryptography is to be contrasted with asymmetric-key cryptography.
References[edit]
Create Symmetric Key
- ^Kartit, Zaid (February 2016). 'Applying Encryption Algorithms for Data Security in Cloud Storage, Kartit, et al'. Advances in ubiquitous networking: proceedings of UNet15: 147.
- ^Delfs, Hans & Knebl, Helmut (2007). 'Symmetric-key encryption'. Introduction to cryptography: principles and applications. Springer. ISBN9783540492436.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
- ^Mullen, Gary & Mummert, Carl (2007). Finite fields and applications. American Mathematical Society. p. 112. ISBN9780821844182.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
- ^'Demystifying symmetric and asymmetric methods of encryption'. Cheap SSL Shop. 2017-09-28.
- ^Pelzl & Paar (2010). Understanding Cryptography. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. p. 30.
- ^Roeder, Tom. 'Symmetric-Key Cryptography'. www.cs.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-05.
- ^14:00-17:00. 'ISO/IEC 13888-2:2010'. ISO. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
- ^Ian Goldberg and David Wagner.'Randomness and the Netscape Browser'.January 1996 Dr. Dobb's Journal.quote:'it is vital that the secret keys be generated from an unpredictable random-number source.'
- ^Thomas Ristenpart , Scott Yilek.'When Good Randomness Goes Bad: Virtual Machine Reset Vulnerabilities and Hedging Deployed Cryptography (2010)'CiteSeerx: 10.1.1.183.3583quote from abstract:'Random number generators (RNGs) are consistently a weak link in the secure use of cryptography.'
- ^'Symmetric Cryptography'. James. 2006-03-11.
- ^Greg Goebel.'The Mechanization of Ciphers'.2018.
- ^'.. the true Beaufort cipher. Notice that we have reciprocal encipherment; encipherment and decipherment are identically the same thing.'--Helen F. Gaines.'Cryptanalysis: A Study of Ciphers and Their Solution'.2014.p. 121.
- ^Greg Goebel.'The Mechanization of Ciphers'.2018.
- ^Friedrich L. Bauer.'Decrypted Secrets: Methods and Maxims of Cryptology'.2006.p. 144
- ^David Salomon.'Coding for Data and Computer Communications'.2006.p. 245
- ^Greg Goebel.'US Codebreakers In The Shadow Of War'.2018.