Database Security: Part 2

In this second video on database security we focus on encryption and firewalls. Encryption applies some parametrized, invertible function (e.g. something simple like ADD 3) to turn plaintext (readable) into cyphertext (unreadable). The inverse process (either SUBTRACT 3 or ADD -3) converts the cyphertext back into plaintext. In symmetric encryption knowing the parameter ("key") for encrypting does not imply knowing the key for decrypting. We discuss some scenarios for using this to provide either privacy, authentication or both. Then we turn to firewall which censor the traffic coming into and out of the network. Combining the ideas of firewall and encryption can yield a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and allow users working from home secure access to the data.