Member Avatar for cpopham

I am wanting to know what ways to attempt to do this. I want to set up an ASP >NET database service. The database (MySQL) will be hosted by a web hosting company which mya not be secure. I am thinking the best way to store clients' data would be to encrypt it, but how would I accomplish this? I can not store the encryption in the database and since it will be browser based, I do not want to store the keys on the client's PC. I want them to login and have access to their data, but do not want anyone else to have access to it and make it very secure. What would be the best way to do this?

Thanks, Chester

  • 3 Contributors
  • 8 Replies
  • 209 Views
  • 5 Months Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by nunnakk

Dani AI

Generated

raised the right concerns: hosted MySQL + browser access + sensitive fields (SSNs, finances) requires treating authentication and stored-data confidentiality as two separate problems. Passwords should be one-way hashed for login; personal data that must be read back needs reversible, authenticated encryption. The main design question is the threat model: is the hosting operator trusted, or must the system resist a malicious host/DB admin?

If the host is generally trusted but DB admins shouldn’t be able to read data, use envelope encryption and keep keys out of the database. Recommended pattern: encrypt each record with a short-lived data key (DEK) using an AEAD cipher (AES‑GCM or ChaCha20‑Poly1305), then encrypt/wrap that DEK with a master key (KEK) held by an external key service or HSM. Store only ciphertext and wrapped keys in MySQL. Use modern password hashing (bcrypt/Argon2) for authentication — not reversible hashes. Note that DB accounts or server-side login procedures (as suggested earlier by ) do not stop an operator with full admin privileges from creating a superuser or reading plaintext if the server holds the KEK.

If the host is not trusted, the only practical protection is true end‑to‑end (client-side) encryption: derive an encryption key in the browser from the user’s secret and encrypt data before it ever leaves the client. Trade-offs: no server-side searching/indexing on plaintext, password-reset/recovery becomes a key-management problem, and served client code must be trusted (supply-chain risk). Minimal Web Crypto pattern (derive -> AES‑GCM encrypt):

// derive key (PBKDF2) and encrypt with AES-GCM (browser Web Crypto)
const pw = new TextEncoder().encode(password);
const salt = crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(16));
const base = await crypto.subtle.importKey("raw", pw, "PBKDF2", false, ["deriveKey"]);
const key = await crypto.subtle.deriveKey({name:"PBKDF2", salt, iterations:200000, hash:"SHA-256"}, base, {name:"AES-GCM", length:256}, false, ["encrypt"]);
const iv = crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(12));
const ct = await crypto.subtle.encrypt({name:"AES-GCM", iv}, key, plaintextBuffer);

Quick checklist: always use TLS; never use MD5 for passwords (MD5 is obsolete; ’s suggestion is unsafe); prefer AEAD for stored data; don’t keep keys in the same DB; plan key rotation, backups, and recovery procedures; document the exact threat model before choosing server-side vs client-side encryption.

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for web_developer

man i dont know MYSQL but i am familair with microsoft sql.

I think the solution to this problem is by making logins and passwords. second, dont make a password column in the database coz every one enter the database can view them.
create password using : "sp_addlogin" and "sp_ addroles" procedures.
in this way the passwords are encrypted inside the microsoft sql.

Member Avatar for cpopham

Yeah, I was thinking about just hashing the password. But my only problem is the web hosting company DB admins can see whatever the database contains or create a user that can do it. I want to somehow encrypt the actual data in the DB so my clients xan login and see it but now one else can. I have not came up with a way to do that yet and still use a broswer interface.

Chester

Member Avatar for web_developer

chester
i dont know about that, but is that happening in real-life or u want to be pioneer in that.
its the first time i see one want encrypt that whole whole database.
man this is can be harmfull if the encryption process is failed, u will loose all the data.
u should be carefull in that.

Member Avatar for cpopham

Well, I was thinking of encrypting the fields themselves, possibly using symetric encryption...

Chester

Member Avatar for web_developer

chester, the type of encryption doesnt differ, u will encrypt using a program but how the users will decrypt and if u find a war to decrypt, this will took time so users may find that boring
encrypting and decrypting each time.
i know users wont do anything, but i am speaking about the time taken for this process to complete.
my opinion is to stop that and take this idea from ur head.

sam

Member Avatar for cpopham

So I should just develop a traditional database app and not go ASP .NET. The reason I need to encrypt is because my app will have financial information and items such as social security numbers. So I would rather error on the side of over protection than under protetion. There are too many stories out now about peoples personal info being hacked and compromised.

However, it will be difficult developing this in a traditional windows app because the users will be all over the place. My reasoning for developing a web app instead of a windows app.

Catach 22 enough seucirty people will not want to use it, but not enough and there is a possibility of compromise which can not happen.

Chester

Member Avatar for web_developer

dude u should develop asp.net application, but ur problem is the problem of whole world security.
i think the best solution is in secured-server, the server administrator should be smart and aware of all the hackers actions.

from ur side, as a programmer u can do ur best to secure ur data, but not taking too much risk by encryopting and descrypoting data all the time.

sam

Member Avatar for nunnakk

simply while any one register in ur side use below query
insert into ur_table values(username,md5(password));
this md5 is type of encryption which cannt be decrypted
--------
second case is login .
in this use check for validity of user by below query
select * from ur_table where username='username.text' and password='md5(password.text)'

this will help u to secure the data of the user. even administration also dont know the password even he/she looks password in database.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.