Microsoft® SQL Server 2012 Unleashed

Extensible Key Management

SQL Server 2012 makes use of Extensible Key Management (EKM) to provide greater key security. EKM enables you to manage your encryption keys via an external provider. This allows for flexibility and choice in encryption providers as well as common key management across your enterprise.

With the growing demand for regulatory compliance and concern for data privacy, organizations are taking advantage of encryption as a way to provide a “defense in depth” solution. As organizations increasingly use encryption and keys to secure their data, key management becomes more complex. Some high security databases use thousands of keys, and you must employ a system to store, retire, and regenerate these keys. This approach is often ...