How to Enable Encryption in Oracle

How do I enable encryption in Oracle?

Activates Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) to protect data at rest.

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Description

Enable Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) to protect sensitive columns and tablespaces with AES encryption.

This guide shows how to create a keystore, set the master key, and encrypt ecommerce tables such as Customers and Orders.

Why enable encryption in Oracle?

Encrypting data at rest prevents unauthorized access to raw files and backups. It helps meet PCI-DSS and GDPR for customer emails, order totals, and payment data.

Which feature handles encryption?

Oracle Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) encrypts tablespaces, entire tables, or selected columns using AES or 3DES without changing application code.

How to create the keystore?

Connect as SYS or a user with ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT privilege, then run CREATE KEYSTORE with a strong password and a secure path outside datafiles.

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE '/u01/app/oracle/admin/ECOM/keystore' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPass#2024';

How to open the keystore and set the master key?

The wallet must be open before encryption. After opening, generate and back up the master key.

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPass#2024'; ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongPass#2024' WITH BACKUP;

How to encrypt an existing table column?

Modify the target column with ALTER TABLE. The operation is online and transparent to applications.

ALTER TABLE Customers MODIFY (email ENCRYPT USING 'AES256' NO SALT);

How to encrypt an entire tablespace?

Encrypt a tablespace to protect every object it contains.

ALTER TABLESPACE sales_data ENCRYPTION ONLINE USING 'AES256' ENCRYPT;

How to verify encryption status?

Query dictionary views to confirm encryption.

SELECT table_name, column_name, encryption_alg FROM DBA_ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS WHERE owner = 'ECOMMERCE_APP';

Best practices

Back up the keystore after each master key change, store passwords in a vault, monitor V$ENCRYPTED_TABLESPACES, and use auto-login wallets only when necessary.

Can encryption be disabled?

You can decrypt columns or tablespaces with ALTER TABLE ... DECRYPT or ALTER TABLESPACE ... DECRYPT, but ensure adequate free space and maintenance windows.

Why How to Enable Encryption in Oracle is important

How to Enable Encryption in Oracle Example Usage


-- 1. Create and open keystore
ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE
  '/u01/app/oracle/admin/ECOM/keystore'
  IDENTIFIED BY 'Wallet#2024';

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN IDENTIFIED BY 'Wallet#2024';
ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY IDENTIFIED BY 'Wallet#2024' WITH BACKUP;

-- 2. Encrypt Orders.total_amount
ALTER TABLE Orders
  MODIFY (total_amount ENCRYPT USING 'AES256');

-- 3. Confirm encryption
SELECT table_name, column_name, encryption_alg
FROM   DBA_ENCRYPTED_COLUMNS
WHERE  table_name = 'ORDERS';

How to Enable Encryption in Oracle Syntax


ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT CREATE KEYSTORE 'keystore_path'
  IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEYSTORE OPEN
  IDENTIFIED BY 'password';

ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT SET KEY IDENTIFIED BY 'password' WITH BACKUP;

ALTER TABLE table_name
  MODIFY (column_name ENCRYPT [USING 'AES256'] [NO SALT | SALT]);

ALTER TABLESPACE tablespace_name
  ENCRYPTION ONLINE USING 'AES256' ENCRYPT;

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to back up the keystore after setting the master key. If wallet files are lost, encrypted data becomes unreadable. Fix: run ADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT BACKUP KEYS and store the file safely.
Running ALTER TABLE ... ENCRYPT while the keystore is closed raises ORA-28365: wallet is not open. Fix: always open the keystore with SET KEYSTORE OPEN before encryption operations.