Re: Submission of Feature Request : RFC- for Implementing Transparent Data Encryption in P

From: sanjay sharma <sanksh(at)hotmail(dot)com>
To: "Jonah H(dot) Harris" <jonah(dot)harris(at)gmail(dot)com>
Cc: <pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: Submission of Feature Request : RFC- for Implementing Transparent Data Encryption in P
Date: 2008-03-31 02:58:43
Message-ID: BAY116-W19732D66E56E8E76701294C3FA0@phx.gbl
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Hey Jonah,

You are correct. I have worked with oracle for a long time and only recently started working with Postgres. I am quite satisfied that Postgres is able to deliver me most of the features/ services which Oracle used to deliver but at much reduced cost.This is very helpful in pushing Postgres towards enterprise core infrastructure. However there are certain fetures which are becoming key for putting postgres in areas where strong regulatory compliance is required.TDE is very helpful in storing data where there is strict privacy compliance requirement for example e.Government and e.Health. All columns of personal profile/health data do not need same level of security for all users and applications. Selective data encryption is very handy in an architecture where different applications are pulling data from a central data repository for processing and presenting to their users or where different users are changing different part of data set in central repository. These departmental applications may contain keys for decrypting and looking at only those columns needed by their users. Encrypting just needed column takes care of compliance requirement down the line in backups and archives.
Another area where I would like to put a RFC is Auditing. A flag at the database level (conf file) or in DDL which puts audit columns ( created_by, creation_date, last_updated_by, last_update_date) on tables and automatically populates them would be a very nice standard feature. Currently this needs code/trigger to be duplicated at each table which is a big grunt. At furthur higher level a way to audit data access/view for regulatory complinace like HIPPA is also needed.This should not be copy of Oracle FGA which has its own limitations.
I welcome everyone to to send their vies on the issue.

Cheers

Sanjay
> Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:10:48 -0400> From: jonah(dot)harris(at)gmail(dot)com> To: sanksh(at)hotmail(dot)com> Subject: Re: [HACKERS] Submission of Feature Request : RFC- for Implementing Transparent Data Encryption in Postgres> CC: pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org> > On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 2:52 PM, sanjay sharma <sanksh(at)hotmail(dot)com> wrote:> > 1. Transparent Data Encryption: The column which needs to be stored in> > encrypted form can be specified through DDL.> > Hey Sanjay. Based on your wording, you've probably used Oracle's TDE> and want to implement it in PG. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten,> cool Oracle features aren't seen as cool in this crowd. Looking at> your responses, there's an obvious misunderstanding in regard to> security (column-level access != encryption), and of performance> (encrypt the whole thing and pay a heavy price on *all* accesses> instead of only granular accesses to only the column(s) you're> encrypting).> > Regardless, if you want to get a feature into PG, you need to first> come up with a good reason for it, get people behind the idea, and> then come up with a plan to implement it.> > -- > Jonah H. Harris, Sr. Software Architect | phone: 732.331.1324> EnterpriseDB Corporation | fax: 732.331.1301> 499 Thornall Street, 2nd Floor | jonah(dot)harris(at)enterprisedb(dot)com> Edison, NJ 08837 | http://www.enterprisedb.com/> > -- > Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org)> To make changes to your subscription:> http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
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