controls::symmetric key encryption algorithm is set to aes 128 or higher in non system databases

Overview

Per the Microsoft Best Practices, only the SQL Server AES algorithm options, AES_128, AES_192, and AES_256, should be used for a symmetric key encryption algorithm.

The following algorithms (as referred to by SQL Server) are considered weak or deprecated and should no longer be used in SQL Server: DES, DESX, RC2, RC4, RC4_128.

Many organizations may accept the Triple DES algorithms (TDEA) which use keying options 1 (3 key aka 3TDEA) or keying option 2 (2 key aka 2TDEA). In SQL Server, these are referred to as TRIPLE_DES_3KEY and TRIPLE_DES respectively. Additionally, the SQL Server algorithm named DESX is actually the same implementation as the TRIPLE_DES_3KEY option. However, using the DESX identifier as the algorithm type has been deprecated and its usage is now discouraged.

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Benchmarks

This control is used in the following benchmarks:

Skipping

To deliberately skip this control (e.g. meaning don’t use Puppet to enforce this setting), we provide you with three ways:

1) Add mssql_secured::controls::symmetric_key_encryption_algorithm_is_set_to_aes_128_or_higher_in_non_system_databases: skip to your hiera data. This will skip this control for ALL databases.
2) Add mssql_secured::controls::symmetric_key_encryption_algorithm_is_set_to_aes_128_or_higher_in_non_system_databases::dbname: skip to your hiera data. This will skip this control for specified database only.
3) Add an entry with the content symmetric_key_encryption_algorithm_is_set_to_aes_128_or_higher_in_non_system_databases to the array value mssql_secured::skip_list in your hiera data.

Attributes

Attribute Name Short Description
title The database to apply the control to.

title

The database to apply the control to.

All controls need an database to apply the control to. Here is a simple example:

mssql_secured::controls::control_name {'MSSQLSERVER':}

In this example, the string DB is the database to apply the control to.

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