New SQL Server Compact Edition Encryption Support

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SQL Server Compact Edition v3.1 and most of the previous versions of SQL Server Mobile/CE use the RSA encryption standard to encrypt the contents of the database files when you use the "Encrypt=true" connection string option. In the case of v3.1, 128-bit RSA is used (I'm not sure about the number of bits in earlier versions).

For quite some time, people have been asking that stronger encryption options be supported. You will be happy to hear, that SSCE v3.5 now offers new encryption support.

Starting with SSCE v3.5, Windows Mobile 5.0 & Windows Mobile 6 devices now encrypt the db files using {SHA1, AES128}. Windows CE 4.2 (the OS under PPC2003 SE devices) doesn't support AES128 so SSCE db files on PPC 2003SE devices are encrypted using {SHA1, 3DES}.


Posted Jul 31 2007, 08:02 AM by jim-wilson

Comments

Alex wrote re: New SQL Server Compact Edition Encryption Support
on 07-31-2007 6:46 AM
Will 3.5 engine run in native 64-bit mode?
Jim Wilson wrote re: New SQL Server Compact Edition Encryption Support
on 07-31-2007 7:12 AM
Just to clarify, there isn't a traditional sense of SSCE engine. It's simply a DLL that loads in-process.

That said, there will not be a 64-bit version as part of the initial v3.5 release. Basically the word is that "64-bit support is currently under evaluation." It seems that there's a reasonable possibility of 64-bit shipping at some point in the future but Microsoft has not made a commitment to do so.

Sorry I can't give you a better answer but that is the current position as I understand it.

-Jim
TheSQLFool wrote re: New SQL Server Compact Edition Encryption Support
on 08-08-2007 12:16 AM
Hi,

if I use SQL mobile edition 2005 running on a Windows Mobile 5.0,

what encryption is available to me? Is it RSA 128 bit?

If its RSA, how do i activate it?

Is it as simple as making the .sdf file password protected when I create the .sdf file inside the SQL management studio?

For decryption, is it as simple as just including the same password on the connection string inside C# or VB code to access the data inside the database file?

I would have thought that RSA is assymetric. If all I did was simply password protection, then how on earth RSA was used?

Thank you in advance

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