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Ask HN: Protecting database information?
Hi,
What's the best way to protect information in a database? The information should be readable from a web application but assuming the database gets hacked, the information should be safe.
An idea I had was to cipher information before inserting into the database but I guess all an attacker needs is the key in order to unlock it.
I'm not great with security so I'm hoping you folks on HN would have some ideas.
- coo1k 10y agoDisclaimer: I am far from a security expert. If your website is used by authenticated users i.e. requiring username password to login, then you could use their password to encrypt relevant data and decrypt it in runtime when the user logs in. However make sure you destroy the password and decrypted information from memory after user logs out or after a certain timeout, whichever is earlier. Since now you are not storing keys on your server, attacker wont be able to decrypt sensitive information even if he gains administrative access to your server. Each user will be holding key in form of his password. The attacker will have to get password of each user. Use https so that the attacker wont be able to sniff out password of the user. Downside: 1. Forgot password functionality will be hard to implement 2. If users try to login to your application after attacker gains access to it, attacker will come to know of the password and use it to decrypt information pertaining to that user. 3. Even you won't be able to see the information since you won't have the decryption key.
- tixocloud 10y agoThanks. That's a very interesting idea - I like it since users can't access each others' information. Now I'll just have to think about handling the "Forgot Password" functionality. I'm not sure for #3 if I do need to see the information although I worry that my users would be using it for nefarious purposes.
- coo1k 10y agoThere is a way to get around #3 although inefficient. Everytime information is posted by your users you can create 2 copies of encrypted information. One with users password for them to view. The other would be using your key, but you cant simply use password for encrypting your copy, that would be insecure since you need to store your password on server. Instead you can use asymmetric encryption such that you can use your public key to encrypt the information. Then you can use your private key to login to you website and view all information.
- tixocloud 10y agoBasically my database will always be 2X? Curious but given that WhatApp recently encrypts messaging end-to-end, does this mean that even they can't view the information? Does this mean WhatsApp would have no way of detecting if it's application is being used for organizing illegal activity?
- coo1k 10y agoYes. See para 2. https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000618/end-to-end-encryption https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000618/end-to-end-encryption
- coo1k 10y agoOR you could encrypt user password with your public key. Then when you login, you can decrypt user password with your private key. Then go on decrypting user information with that password. This way you won't have to make copy of information posted by users and still will be able to view it with admin login.
- zimpenfish 10y agoDoesn't that mean anyone who captures the "admin" private key has full access to the database?
- coo1k 10y agoYes, but since the key resides with admin and not on server, I am assuming the private key will be stored securely.
- zimpenfish 10y agoI think it was on here that someone recommended this - http://www.wayner.org/node/46 http://www.wayner.org/node/46 > Translucent databases provide better, deeper protection by scrambling the data with encryption algorithms. The solutions use the minimal amount of encryption to ensure that the database is still functional. In the best applications, the personal and sensitive information is protected but the database still delivers the information. (Disclaimer: I haven't read it yet)