2015 1st International conference on futuriistic trend in computational analysis and knowledge management

m (ABLAZE 2015)

Database Security Using Encrypption

Prabhsimran Singh Dr. Kulljit Kaur
Department of Computer Science & Enngineering Department of Computeer Science & Engineering
Guru Nanak Dev University Guru Nanak Dev
D University
Amritsar, India Amritsaar, India
prabh_singh32@yahoo.com kuljitchahal@
@yahoo.com

Abstract—Security of Data is the most important task in is encrypted before saving it inn the database, even with access
today’s world. Over the years various encrypption schemes have to the database the intruder caannot misuse this data. Fig 1,
been developed in order to protect the dataabase from various show how the intruder can acceess the contents of database.
attacks by the intruders. This paper discuses the importance of
database encryption and makes an in depth review of various
database encryption techniques and comparee them on basis of
their merits and demerits.

Keywords— Encryption, Cryptography, Hashiing, Security,

database.

I. INTRODUCTION
In this age of technology, all our work is being done by the
computers. From chatting with friends on social networking
websites, to making online payments throuugh Net Banking,
everything is being done online through compputers. Since these
facilities are efficient and make our work eaasy we use them in
one way or the other. This means to use theese online services
we are storing all our personal and senssitive data in the
databases of these websites and applicatioons, which indeed
make this data prone to various security threeats. So protection
of this important user data is one of the majoor priority, in order
to avoid any misuse of data.

Authorization and Authentication are twwo major processes

that are used to protect the data from the front
f end(i.e. User
Side) that is being accessed by the user, where
w authorization
means whether a person has the rights to acceess the data or not,
while authentication means identifying thhe user which is
generally done by the use of username/passwword [1].

Another important way of protecting this data is by

encrypting the data being saved in the databases
d of these
websites. In this paper we will discuss thee various database
encryption schemes proposed by different authors, and also
mes.
study their merits and demerits of these schem
Fig. 1. Intruder accessiing the contents of Database

II. WHAT IS THE NEED OF ENCRYPTIING THE DATA

The need of encrypting the data before saving it in a III. DATABA
ASE ENCRYPTION
database is that by restricting the access throough authorization Database Encryption is a process of encrypting the data in
and authentication of data can help to a certaain limit, but what the database [2]. It is a key strrategy to protect the contents of
if the intruder somehow gets to the database. He has all the data within the database. Thee main idea behind this is that
data of database and can misuse it as he likees, here encryption incase the intruder somehow is able to get to the database of
of data before saving it in database comes innto play. If the data

978-1-4799-8433-6/15/$31.00©2015 IEEE
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the system; due to encryption he should not be able to misuse password entered is encryypted using hash function and
the data in the database. then matched with the paassword stored in the database
which is already in encryppted form, if both matches the
Figure 2, shows basic working of the daatabase encryption user get access else it gets the message of invalid
and decryption process. The plain text/data to be saved in the username/password. M
Most commonly used Hash
database is first converted into cipher text ussing an appropriate Functions are MD4, MD55, SHA, SHA-1 etc. Figure 4,
algorithm and a specific key. Then this cipheer text is saved into shows working of hashing.
the database. When the user wants to extractt the data from the
from the database, the cipher text is converrted back to plain
text using the decryption algorithm and the same key used in
encryption. This will return the plain text to the user, when
requested.

Fig. 3. Working of Encryption

E Process [3]

Fig. 2. Database Encryption and Decrypttion Process

Database Encryption can be done in two possible ways[2]:

a. Encryption: It is a process in which plaiin text is converted
to cipher text with help of key, and theen using the same
key we can decrypt the cipher text bacck to plain text[3].
Encryption is performed using variouss algorithms, with
each algorithm having his own advantages and
disadvantages. Most commonly used u encryption
algorithms are DES, RC2, AES_128, AE ES_256 etc. Figure
3, shows working of simple encryption process.
p Fig. 4. Working of Hashing Process [3]

b. Hashing: It is a one way process, in which

w plain text is
converted into hashed value(encryptedd form). Once the Figure 5 and 6 shows dataabase in normal and encrypted
data is hashed using a Hash Function it cannot
c be changed form. In figure 6, the contennts in the database cannot be
back to plain Text[3]. Generally this approach is used for understood, so it becomes almost impossible for the
password encryption, whenever we need n to login the intruder/hacker to misuse this data.
d

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were made to the mode of o encryption and decryption

operations. At end they also sugggested this improved algorithm
can be used in other fields whhere security of data is required,
moreover suggested that there isi further scope of improvement
in the security by using the proposed
p algorithm in a hybrid
Fig. 5. Database in Normal Form fashion.

m
Fig. 6. Database in Encrypted Form

IV. LITERATURE SURVEY

All the work done by various researcherrs and authors can
be broadly classified into 3 main categgories; standalone
encryption approaches, hybrid approaches annd hashing.
a. Standalone Encryption Approaches
Samba Sesay, et al [4], discuses the impoortance of database
security in activities like E-Commerce and Ennterprise Resource
Planning (ERP). They also discuss the varioous loopholes that
attackers use to access the database. Finallyy they proposed a Fig. 7. Comparison of FCE with DES and Plain Text [9]
system for database encryption which minim mizes the time cost
of encryption and decryption process, while covering
c all aspect Chin-Chen Chang and Chhao-Wen Chan [13], gave two
of security like confidentiality, access control,
c integrity, schemes of database encryptioon. Scheme 1 for field oriented
authentication and non-repudiation. Although their system encryption system, and Schheme 2 for record oriented
posses various advantages but also suffer a major
m disadvantage encryption system. Both schem mes based on RSA Master Keys,
that queries like sum, average and counts cannnot be performed which also solves the key manaagement problem and also helps
directly. in providing access rights to different users. The proposed
Min-Shiang Hwang and Wei-Pang Yangg [5], proposed a 2 schemes overcome the weakneess of the schemes proposed by
way encryption scheme based on the conncept of one-way GI Davida, et al[6] and D. Buehhrer[14].
function and subkeys that ensures full security; moreover 2 Erez Shmueli, et al [15], evaluated all the traditional 5
additional algorithms were given that efficieently handles a of architectures for database encryption
e and gave a new
key management problem. They also compaared their proposed encryption architecture whichh removed the weakness of all
scheme with the schemes of GI Davida, ett al[6] and Lin, et earlier architectures. This sccheme places the encryption
al[7,8] on the parameters like storage spacee, number of keys module just above the databaase cache, inside the database
etc. The result of the comparison showss that the 2-way management system (DBMS) and uses a dedicated technique
encryption scheme is clearly the best among thet three. to encrypt each database value together with its coordinates.
T. Ge and S. Zdonik [9], gave a new enccryption algorithm Kamaljit Kaur, et al [16], discussed the importance of
Fast Comparison Encryption (FCE) for dataa warehouses. This security in today’s world. They T proposed encryption of
algorithm was clearly better than traditionn Data Encryption numeric data in the database using 3KDEC algorithm. The
Standard (DES) in terms of low decryptionn overheads which algorithm is easy to use and takes very less computations.
makes it really efficient for encryption of larrge databases. The Further they simulated varioous attacks like Brute Force
results of the comparison are shown in figurre 7, where FCE-1 Attack; Statistical Attack etc too show the encrypted numerical
and FCE-2 are 2 different versions of Fast Comparison values cannot be cracked by the attackers. Moreover they
Encryption (FCE). However S. Jacobb[10], performed stated that the algorithm is noot limited to databases but can
cryptanalysis on the proposed algorithm and proved that even be used in other areas where
w security is required. The
although it is efficient and fast but the keeys can be easily flowchart of the proposed algorrithm is shown in figure 9.
generated and hence not secure. He further proposed
p the use of ZhaoYong-Xia [17], discuussed the various schemes like
AES-CTR or eSTREAM[11], to improve the security. substitution and transposition, along with various traditional
Noor Arshad, et al [12], proposed a new encryption standard encryption algorithm like Data Encryption Standard
algorithm by making improvements to existing Cipher (DES), AES (American Advaanced Encryption Standard) etc
encryption which removed all its weakness. The main changes that are being used in databbase encryption. They further

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discussed the various advantages and disadvantages of b. Hybrid Approaches

mproving them.
database encryption, and possible ways of im W Xing-hui, M Xiu-jun [20], gave the use of hybrid
encryption in databases. They used RSA and IDEA algorithm
which are public key and sym mmetric key respectively. In this
the keys were first encrypted ussing the RSA algorithm and then
these keys were used to encryppt the plain data using the IDEA
algorithm. This hybrid approacch enhances the security of data
and makes it really difficult to break
b it.

c. Hashing
Mary Cindy Ah Kioon, et ala [21], discussed the importance
of password encryption using hashing
h functions like MD5 etc.
It also suggests possible modiffication that can further enhance
the security using hashing fuunctions. Figure 11, shows the
snapshot of database using MD5 hash function.

Fig. 9. Flowchart of 3KDEC Algorithm

m [16]

Zhou Xing and Liu Jun [18], propossed an encryption

technique by using multi-granularity encrypption. This scheme
takes 4 granularities to provide maximum security. The main Fig. 11. Snapshot of database using
u MD5 Hash Function [21]
idea behind his research was that with encrypption the efficiency
decreases, so to improve that he proposed this new
w scheme which uses V. RESULTS AND A FINDINGS
B+ trees for indexing. A lot of research work hass been done in field of database
Lianzhong Liu and Jingfen Gai [19], disccussed the various encryption, with a sole motivee to improve security of data in
properties and features that a good database encryption
e method the database. Table 1, com mpares the various Database
should possess. They further proposed a new method for Encryption Research papers on different parameters.
database encryption, according to which an encryption to the
database can be provided as a service. Another
A important
feature which they proposed was to save thhe keys away from
the encrypted data in order to enhance the seccurity.

Table 1,
1 “Comparison of different Research Papers”
Paper Technique Used Algorithm Merits Demerits
Time Cost of Cannot directly
A secure database Standalonne Encryption and perform queries of
Data Encryption
encryption Encryptioon Decryption statistical functions
Standard (DES)
scheme[4] Approacch operation is such as sum,
minimum. average, counts etc.
Security is
guaranteed by use ofo
A two-phase
Standalonne two phase
encryption scheme Data Encryption Lot of computation
Encryptioon encryption.
for enhancing Standard (DES) and Overheads.
Approacch Problem of key
database security[5]
management is alsoo
efficiently handled.
Fast, secure Standalonne Fast Comparison Efficient and Fast Key can be easily
encryption for Encryptioon Encryption (FCE) for protecting the generated and hence

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indexing in a column Approach confidentiality not reliable.

oriented of large databases.
DBMS[9]
Added
Database encryption Improves the
Standalone Computations and
using enhanced General for all Block limitations of the
Encryption Time cost of
affine block cipher Cipher Algorithms traditional Block
Approach Encryption and
algorithm[12] Cipher Algorithm
Decryption
A database record
encryption scheme
using the RSA Standalone Master Key solves Increased Time cost
RSA Public Key
public key Encryption the problem of Key of Encryption and
Algorithm
cryptosystem and its Approach Management. Decryption
master key [13]

Implementing a Since Encryption is

A new encryption
database encryption done just above
Standalone Advanced architecture which
solution, design and Cache the database
Encryption Encryption removed the
implementation server memory may
Approach Standard (AES) weakness of all
issues, Computers & still contain data in
earlier architectures
Security[15] its plaintext form.
Numeric to Numeric
Less Computation Cannot be used for
Encryption of Standalone
3KDEC(Symmetric and easy to Use. Full numeric data with
Databases: Using Encryption
key algorithm) Protection of decimal data and
3Kdec Approach
Numeric data. non-numeric data.
Algorithm[16]
The Technology of Standalone
Various Encryption Every Algorithm has Every Algorithm has
Database Encryption
Algorithm its merits its Demerits
Encryption[17] Approach
Use of multi-
A novel efficient Standalone granularity Complex
New Proposed
database encryption Encryption encryption provide Computations and
Scheme
scheme [18] Approach efficient protection query processing
to index information
A new lightweight
Standalone Added security and
database encryption New Proposed Complex query
Encryption Efficient key
scheme transparent Scheme processing
Approach management
to applications [19]
Research of the
Database Encryption Added Security by More computations
Technique Based on Hybrid Approach RSA+ IDEA use of 2 encryption for encryption and
Hybrid algorithms decryption process.
Cryptography [20]
Can only be used to
encrypt data,
Security Analysis of
Can’t be broken decryption is not
MD5 algorithm in MD5 (Message
Hashing easily. Easy to possible. Hence
Password Digest Algorithm 5)
Implement can’t be used where
Storage[21]
information retrieval
is required.

database becomes an important issue. Many researchers have

VI. CONCLUSIONS worked on this thing and proposed various algorithms and
With advancement in Technology, nowadays everything is architectures. Each scheme has its own advantages and
being done with computers, so security of these data in the disadvantages. But none of them is fully secure, and contain

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certain loopholes or demerits with can be used by the attackers http://www.ecrypt.eu.org/stream/.

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find a scheme that is fully secure from all the possible security Computational Techniques in Electrical Engineering, pp. 71-76. World
threats. Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS), 2008.
[13] Chang, Chin-Chen, and Chao-Wen Chan. "A database record
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