Re: Oracle Encryption

From: Dale Cook <dcook_at_scientech.com>
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1998 16:00:45 -0800
Message-ID: <3654B12D.8769E7E8@scientech.com>

aperez_at_ccs.neu.edu wrote:

>We have an Oracle 7.3.4

> server running on a unix server and am going to have a front end in excel on
> WIN 95 machines. I need to make sure that transactions back and forth are
> encrypted. I somewhat understand how it works, but am still confused. I'm
> using SQLNet to communicate. I've heard that SQLNet itself encrypts the data.
> Is this true and/or do i have to activate it or feed it encryption keys? Do I

It is true, as long as you have purchased the Advanced Networking Option for both client and server. Once installed, you turn it on using the sqlnet.ora file on both client and server. I've dinked with it using V8/Net8, so I'm not sure what differences there are. The Net8 client has a client called Net8 Assistant that, if installed on a machine that will run it, builds sqlnet.ora files according to your selections.

> need ANO for this part? I also know that Kerberos is going to be put into use
> sometime later. I understand that ANO needs to be installed in order to use
> Kerberos, but I also keep on seeing references to RSA and DES. Are these some
> equivalents to Kerberos? I'm not sure what they are.

Kerberos is an authentication mechanism as well as encryption. RSA and DES are for encryption/integrity of data, but by themselves do not address authentication. RSA is often referred to as "public/private key" encryption, aka asymmetric keys, while DES is "shared secret key" encryption, aka symmetric key (same key used to encrypt/decrypt).

Oracle provides an "authetication adapter" for Kerberos (and other authentication methods as well), but you need to have the Kerberos stuff already installed, near as I can tell.

----dale Received on Thu Nov 19 1998 - 18:00:45 CST