Question Re: SQL Anywhere 17 - Validate Encrypted Database in Technology Q&A

SQL Anywhere 17 - Validate Encrypted Database

Former Member — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 02:18:49 GMT

Hi,

I use full database encryption (AES256) method to create a new Encrypted database for our project. Testing team want to verify the Database is encrypted or not.

How to validate whether the database is encrypted or not?

Thanks, Jeyan

Re: SQL Anywhere 17 - Validate Encrypted Database

Chris26 — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 02:42:08 GMT

If you try to start an encrypted database without an encryption key you get an error. I guess that is quite a good validation...

Could not connect to the database.

Incorrect or missing encryption key
[Sybase][ODBC Driver][SQL Anywhere]Incorrect or missing encryption key
SQLCODE=-840
SQLSTATE=08001

Re: SQL Anywhere 17 - Validate Encrypted Database

VolkerBarth — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 03:27:43 GMT

You could also try to open the database file in a (hex) editor and try to "grab some readable contents". Of course that would usually also fail even if the database is just obfuscated via "simple encryption"...