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Data Encryption

Some Warnings
Links to Java™ Crypto Providers

class MyCipher implements db.TableEncrypt {
  void Encrypt(String tableName, byte 
       rowBuffer[], int rowNumber, int 
       colOffsets[]) {
    ...
  }
  void Decrypt(String tableName, byte
       rowBuffer[], int rowNumber, int
       colOffsets[]) {
    ...
  }
}

MyCipher cipher = new MyCipher ();
idbConnection con = (idbConnection)DriverManager.getConnection (url);
con.setTableEncryption ("MyEncryptedTable", con);

In the above example, InstantDB will associated the cipher object with the table MyEncryptedTable. Every time a row from MyEncryptedTable is written or read from disk, the cipher.encrypt() and cipher.decrypt() methods will be invoked.

A simple implementation of db.TableEncrypt is given in RowEncrypt.java in the Examples directory. The file EncryptTest.java shows this example module being used. Change to the Examples directory and issue the command:

java EncryptTest

Comparing the files tables/clear.tbl and tables/encrypted.tbl in a binary editor should illustrate the difference between the data contents.

Some Warnings

The RowEncrypt example module is only an example of how to implement the db.TableEncrypt interface. It uses a deliberately weak algorithm. Sensistive data should not be encrypted used the example module.

Do not create indexes on encrypted columns. Indexes, by their very nature, are based on the unencrypted values of the data.

Use and distribution of encryption software is restricted, or even banned in many countries. Make sure you are aware of any local regulations before you use encryption software.

Links to Java Crypto Providers™

InstantDB does not come with any Java™ Cryptography Package Providers. However, there are several excellent Java™ implementation available. Any one of the packages below will provide all of the popular ciphers, digests and signature algorithms in use today.

• eSec Open JCE - A commercial implementation recently made Open Source.
  
• Baltimore A commercial JCE™ from the much respected Baltimore team.
  
• Cryptix The Java™ community's very own collective implementation.
  
• IAIK University of Graz implemenation. Very comprehensive.
  
• logi.crypto (formerly cryptonite).