如何安全地存储加密密钥？

Question

I am using MySQL as a back end storage. I was asked by our risk management team to encrypt all the data prior storing it into the database.

Since then I have been doing research on how to secure the data going in and out the database.

I found couple ways one of them was MySQL Encryption Software

A second solution was to encrypt and decrypt data in MySQL using AES_ENCRYPT() AND AES_DECRYPT(). But I will need to create a 128,196 or 256 bit key in order to be able to encrypt and decrypt the data. Then every time I want to execute INSERT/UPDATE I will call AES_ENCRYPT() and supply it with a key to encrypt the data. Then when I execute SELECT then I will have to call AES_DECRYPT() and supply the same key to convert the data to a plain text.

This means that I will have to define a variable in my PHP script that have the private key so I can encrypt/decrypt by supplying the defined variable to both AES_ENCRYPT() and AES_DECRYPT()

My question is Where/How to a store this private key to prevent a hacker from reading it. if someone hacks my server reads the key then he can simply read the data and the encryption would be mean less.

And what is the best way to go about securing my data?

Thank you

Answer 1

The issue you are facing is not a key issue but an issue of security of the rest of your computer. Using mysql means that mysql (if running safely) is running in it's own account. You would in fact put the keys in your mysql-owned directory. That secures much of mysql. MySql itself needs to have access to that key, so there is not much more you can do for that account. Just make sure it is readable only by the owning account.