Re: WIP: Data at rest encryption

From: Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us>
To: Joe Conway <mail(at)joeconway(dot)com>
Cc: Robert Haas <robertmhaas(at)gmail(dot)com>, Stephen Frost <sfrost(at)snowman(dot)net>, Peter Eisentraut <peter(dot)eisentraut(at)2ndquadrant(dot)com>, Ants Aasma <ants(dot)aasma(at)eesti(dot)ee>, PostgreSQL-development <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: WIP: Data at rest encryption
Date: 2017-06-13 16:58:36
Message-ID: 20170613165836.GE13873@momjian.us
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-hackers

On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 09:55:10AM -0700, Joe Conway wrote:
> > That way, if the user wants to store the key in an unencrypted text
> > file, they can set the encryption_key_command = 'cat /not/very/secure'
> > and call it a day. If they want to prompt the user on the console or
> > request the key from an HSM or get it in any other way, they just have
> > to write the appropriate shell script. We just provide mechanism, not
> > policy, and the user can adopt any policy they like, from an extremely
> > insecure policy to one suitable for Fort Knox.
>
> Agreed, but as Bruce alluded to, we want this to be a master key, which
> is in turn used to encrypt the actual key, or keys, that are used to
> encrypt the data. The actual data encryption keys could be very long
> randomly generated binary, and there could be more than one of them
> (e.g. one per tablespace) in a file which is encrypted with the master
> key. This is more secure and allows, for example the master key to be
> changed without having to decrypt/re-encrypt the entire database.

Yes, thank you. Also, you can make multiple RSA-encrypted copies of the
symetric key, one for each role you want to view the data. And good
point on the ability to change the RSA key/password without having to
reencrypt the data.

--
Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us> http://momjian.us
EnterpriseDB http://enterprisedb.com

+ As you are, so once was I. As I am, so you will be. +
+ Ancient Roman grave inscription +

In response to

Responses

Browse pgsql-hackers by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Stephen Frost 2017-06-13 17:01:32 Re: WIP: Data at rest encryption
Previous Message Joe Conway 2017-06-13 16:55:10 Re: WIP: Data at rest encryption