Re: SQL encryption - how to do in-place encryption

Ah. I thought I had recalled reading recommendations to base64 encode binary stream data before some of the typical encryption schemes; presumably they had suggested afterward, and I just mis-remembered. Perhaps twisted in my recollection because it seems a bit daft to do base64 encoding to the output of the encryption; i.e. having started as binary and remaining binary after encryption, then there is no change in requirements to transport the data as binary. But I see how an /accidental/ change, e.g. transport as text, could allow a base64 encoded value to survive such mistakes and enable decryption.

Regards, Chuck

On 02 May 2012 14:45, Tim Bronski wrote:

Just to be picky...in crypto terms "plaintext" defines the raw
unencrypted data and has nothing to do with it being "text". The
output of an encryption process might base64 encode the result if
there's any chance the data might be accidentally modified but that's
got nothing to do with the encryption per se. All modern algorithms
work with binary data in bits or blocks of bits. <<SNIP>>

On 5/2/2012 11:10 PM, CRPence wrote:

But that would introduce a new problem, because most encryption is
designed to encrypt /plaintext/ data, so the binary data would
first need to be passed through a base64 encoding to enable proper
encryption.