Comparison Matrix

The following matrix compares three approaches to securing sensitive data in Microsoft SQL server environments. It evaluates the real-world effectiveness of each against insider threats, compromised credentials, and operational constraints.

Ubiq Security = Ubiq’s identity-driven encryption/tokenization platform (with native SQL Server integration assumed).
Microsoft Always Encrypted = SQL Server/Azure feature for client-side column-level encryption, keeping data encrypted in the database and only decrypted in the application driver.
SQL Server TDE = Transparent Data Encryption for SQL Server/Azure SQL DB, providing encryption at rest (database files and backups) at the storage level.

Summary Matrix

Security Dimension	Ubiq Security	Microsoft Always Encrypted	SQL Server / Azure SQL TDE
Insider Threat Protection	High – Encryption and decryption governed by identity and policy; DBAs or service accounts cannot view plaintext without explicit permission.	Medium – Protects against DBAs accessing specific columns, but exposure possible via compromised clients or misconfigured key stores.	Low – Protects only at rest; insiders or privileged users see plaintext during normal operation.
Defense Against Stolen Credentials	High – Requires valid Ubiq + IAM credentials; compromised DB or cloud tokens alone cannot decrypt data.	Medium – Effective if client keys remain secure; compromised application credentials can still decrypt data.	Low – Any valid credential with DB access can read decrypted data.
Access Control Granularity	High – Field- and record-level, identity-aware enforcement integrated with IAM/CIAM.	Medium – Column-level only; limited query types supported.	Low – Database or file-level encryption only.
Runtime Enforcement	High – Policies evaluated externally before decryption; data stays encrypted until identity is verified.	Medium – Decryption tied to client; relies on secure key distribution.	Low – Decryption automatic upon DB access.
Integration Effort	Medium – Requires API or UDF integration for field-level control; minimal ongoing maintenance.	High – Requires schema and application changes, driver updates, and client-side key management.	Low – Transparent; no code changes required.
Performance Impact	Low – Microsecond-to-millisecond latency per operation; scales horizontally with workload.	Medium – Client-side encryption adds latency and can limit query performance.	Low – Minimal, since it encrypts storage only.
Data Coverage	High – Structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data; supports hybrid analytics environments.	Medium – Structured data only; limited data types supported.	High – Structured data at rest only.
Key Management	High – Built-in FIPS-compliant key lifecycle management; supports HSM and customer-managed keys.	Medium – Customer-managed keys; limited rotation and policy integration.	Medium – Platform-managed keys (Azure Key Vault optional).
IAM Compatibility	High – Integrates directly with enterprise IAM/CIAM for policy enforcement.	Low – Independent of IAM; relies on app-level roles.	Low – Independent of IAM; DB role-based only.

Detailed Matrix

Security Dimension	Ubiq Security Platform (Identity-Driven Data Protection)	Microsoft Always Encrypted (Client-Side Column Encryption)	SQL Server TDE (Transparent Data Encryption)
Protection Against Internal Threats (malicious DBA or insider)	High: Data remains encrypted at the field or column level unless accessed by an authorized identity through Ubiq. Even database administrators cannot see plaintext without going through Ubiq’s IAM-governed decryption process. Encryption keys and logic are external to SQL Server, so a rogue insider cannot retrieve sensitive data by querying the database alone. Result: A DBA or server admin querying a protected table sees ciphertext; Ubiq must explicitly authorize decryption.	High: Designed specifically to prevent database administrators from viewing sensitive data. Columns marked as Always Encrypted are stored as ciphertext, and only the client or application possessing the correct key can decrypt them. Even a sysadmin connected directly to the SQL instance sees ciphertext. However, this assumes attackers do not compromise the client driver or the machine storing the key material.	Low: TDE protects data only at rest. Once the database instance is online, decryption is automatic for any authenticated session with privileges. DBAs and applications with SELECT access retrieve plaintext transparently. There is no cryptographic separation between privileged administrators and sensitive data.
Protection Against External Credential Compromise (attacker using stolen DB/app credentials)	High: Ubiq ties decryption to IAM identity and policy external to the database. Stolen SQL Server credentials alone are insufficient to retrieve plaintext—an attacker must also compromise Ubiq credentials and obtain authorization through the external IAM policy. Even full database access yields ciphertext for protected fields. Result: credential theft produces no usable data without a second layer of keys and identity checks.	High (for DB credentials): An attacker with valid database credentials or control of the SQL instance cannot decrypt Always Encrypted data because the keys reside externally (in the client driver or Azure Key Vault). However, if the attacker compromises both the application and the key store, they can decrypt. The feature limits exposure from database breaches but not from full application compromise.	Low: A stolen SQL credential provides the same level of access as the original user. Once authenticated, the database engine decrypts transparently for the session. There is no external control layer. In practice, stolen credentials directly expose plaintext data.
Granularity of Access Control	Fine-grained, identity-based: Ubiq encrypts and tokenizes data at the field level with per-user or per-role policies enforced through IAM. A compliance user can view full values while analysts see masked or tokenized formats. Rules can even differ dynamically based on user attributes. This enforces least-privilege data access across all workflows.	Medium (column-level, not identity-aware): Always Encrypted protects specific columns but does not distinguish between identities that share the decryption key. Any authorized client with access to the key can see plaintext for the entire column. Developers can segment access only by managing multiple key sets manually.	Coarse (database or file-level): TDE applies encryption to entire databases or data files without differentiating between users. Once decrypted, every authorized session sees identical plaintext. There is no row-, field-, or identity-specific visibility control.
Runtime Enforcement (context-aware checks when data is accessed)	Yes – context-aware: Each decryption request passes through an IAM-governed runtime policy that evaluates identity, role, and contextual attributes such as device, environment, and time. If conditions fail, Ubiq denies key release. Even active sessions lose decrypt privileges if context changes, enforcing continuous Zero Trust validation.	Yes – by architecture: The database engine never sees plaintext. Only the client driver that holds the key performs decryption. However, the design is static; once the client possesses the key, decryption is automatic and not tied to runtime policy or context.	No: TDE runs transparently within the engine. If the session is authenticated, the data is decrypted automatically. There is no contextual or external runtime control once the query executes.
Integration Effort & Performance Overhead	Low effort, low overhead: Implemented via lightweight SDKs or UDFs for field-level operations, requiring no changes to SQL Server schema or drivers. Encryption applies only to sensitive columns, minimizing computational impact. Network latency for key retrieval is negligible due to caching. Typical overhead: microseconds to milliseconds per field.	Moderate effort, measurable overhead: Requires client and application updates to use compatible drivers (.NET, ODBC, JDBC). Many SQL operations (e.g., pattern searches, range comparisons, LIKE clauses) cannot operate on encrypted columns, often necessitating schema redesigns. Encryption/decryption occurs on clients, adding CPU overhead proportional to data size.	Minimal effort, minimal overhead: Enabled by DBA configuration (CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY, ALTER DATABASE SET ENCRYPTION ON). Overhead limited to I/O during encryption/decryption of data pages. Transparent to applications but only protects storage.
Coverage of Data Types (structured DB data vs files/streams)	Broad: Ubiq protects structured data in SQL Server and extends to unstructured and semi-structured data such as logs, files, and data streams. Encryption “travels with the data,” maintaining protection as it moves between SQL Server, data lakes, and analytics platforms under the same IAM-driven policy.	Narrow: Always Encrypted secures structured SQL Server data types only. Exported data, files, or analytics pipelines must implement separate encryption. Data becomes plaintext once outside the database driver.	Narrow: Encrypts entire database and backup files, protecting against physical theft but not data once exported or replicated elsewhere. No coverage for files, logs, or streams outside SQL storage.
Key Management	Externalized and granular: Ubiq maintains a dedicated FIPS-validated key management service or integrates with a customer HSM. Each dataset or field can use its own DEK (Data Encryption Key), wrapped by a master key that may reside in the customer’s HSM or cloud KMS. Keys are never stored within SQL Server and are released only upon successful IAM authorization. Rotation and revocation are seamless—no need to re-encrypt data. Administrators cannot extract or misuse key material. This separation of duties enforces full cryptographic isolation between database operation and key authority.	Customer-managed, limited flexibility: Always Encrypted stores keys in client-side certificate stores or in Azure Key Vault. DBAs have no access, but lifecycle operations (rotation, revocation) require client-side coordination and application redeployment. There is no per-field or per-user key differentiation unless implemented manually. Integration with enterprise IAM for key policies is not native.	Platform-managed: TDE uses a single database encryption key (DEK) protected by a server certificate or by Azure Key Vault. The key hierarchy is controlled by the database engine. Rotation or revocation impacts all data uniformly, and administrators controlling the vault can decrypt. There is no per-field or per-user key segmentation.
IAM Compatibility (Enterprise Integration & Least Privilege)	Full integration: Ubiq ties directly to enterprise IdPs such as Okta, Entra ID, or LDAP. IAM roles and attributes govern decryption and masking rules, ensuring least-privilege enforcement at the cryptographic layer. Revoking a user or group in IAM immediately disables decryption rights. Access events are fully auditable and linked to identity.	None: Always Encrypted is isolated from IAM. Access control depends solely on possession of encryption keys. IAM policies cannot limit who decrypts or when, except indirectly by restricting key vault access.	Limited: TDE operates below the IAM and RBAC layers. Azure AD can control who connects to the database, but it does not enforce or monitor decryption operations. Privileged roles within SQL Server or Azure Key Vault have full decryption rights by design.

Explanatory Notes and Key Insights

Encryption at Rest vs Runtime Threats
Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL encrypt data at rest using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), protecting against offline theft or physical media loss. However, once the database is running, decryption occurs automatically for any authorized user, service principal, or application. This design secures stored data but does not prevent insiders or compromised credentials from accessing plaintext. Always Encrypted adds client-side protection for specific columns but introduces limitations and complexity. Ubiq extends protection into runtime environments by enforcing identity-based decryption through an external IAM-governed service. Even with valid SQL credentials, data remains encrypted unless the request passes policy validation, ensuring protection against both insider and credential-based attacks.

Governance vs Encryption Granularity
Always Encrypted enables column-level encryption, but it restricts operations such as range queries, pattern matching, and analytics functions, making it difficult to scale across workloads. TDE, by contrast, encrypts data broadly at the storage layer without granularity or identity awareness. Ubiq combines these capabilities—delivering per-field encryption, tokenization, and masking without sacrificing query flexibility. Policies tied to IAM roles determine who can decrypt which fields, allowing multiple user views of the same dataset. This approach provides the fine-grained protection of Always Encrypted with the usability and transparency of TDE, ensuring least-privilege access without database schema or application redesign.

Runtime and Context Enforcement
Native SQL Server and Azure SQL features apply encryption policies at rest or during initial query authorization but lack runtime context evaluation. Once a session is active, data remains decrypted for the duration of that connection. Ubiq introduces continuous runtime enforcement through external IAM policy checks for every decrypt operation. Policies can include user attributes, device posture, environment, or time of request. This ensures that only approved identities under approved conditions can view plaintext. If a user’s context changes—such as role removal or session revocation—Ubiq immediately halts decryption. This creates adaptive, Zero Trust control beyond the static authorization models of TDE and Always Encrypted.

Credential Compromise and Kill Switch
A stolen SQL Server or Azure SQL credential can allow attackers to access plaintext data within the database or through legitimate applications. Always Encrypted mitigates some risk by isolating keys on the client side but remains limited in coverage. Ubiq adds a distinct enforcement layer—decryption requires both SQL authentication and IAM-based Ubiq authorization. Without valid Ubiq credentials, stolen logins or tokens yield only ciphertext. Administrators can revoke decryption privileges instantly by disabling an IAM account or dataset policy, stopping data access immediately without database downtime. This dual control sharply reduces the blast radius of credential compromise and strengthens defense in depth.

Integration and Performance
TDE provides seamless encryption with no code changes but limited visibility or runtime control. Always Encrypted offers stronger isolation but demands significant schema updates, driver changes, and client-side configuration. Ubiq sits between these extremes. Integration involves identifying sensitive fields and adding lightweight Ubiq SDK or UDF calls within queries, ETL jobs, or applications. The performance impact is negligible—microseconds to milliseconds per operation—because encryption applies only to selected fields. This enables organizations to secure sensitive data in SQL Server or Azure SQL without major refactoring while introducing identity-driven runtime protection absent from native encryption methods.

Key Management and Trust Separation
SQL Server and Azure SQL manage encryption keys internally or through Azure Key Vault (AKV), where authorized processes can decrypt data automatically. While customer-managed keys improve control, key usage still depends on platform trust. Ubiq externalizes key management to a FIPS-validated or customer-managed HSM, fully decoupled from SQL Server and Azure SQL operations. Keys are released only upon successful IAM policy validation, ensuring decryption cannot occur solely within the database engine. This separation of duties eliminates DBA-level access to keys, prevents service principals from automatically decrypting data, and enforces Zero Trust key governance. Even if the SQL Server instance or Azure service layer were compromised, attackers would be unable to retrieve usable keys or plaintext, maintaining full cryptographic isolation between storage, administration, and data access.

Summary

SQL Server TDE and Always Encrypted address different layers of the data protection problem: TDE satisfies compliance by encrypting data at rest, while Always Encrypted extends protection to specific columns but sacrifices flexibility and ease of use. Neither provides true runtime, identity-aware control over decryption. Ubiq unifies those objectives — applying encryption, tokenization, and masking directly to sensitive fields while enforcing access based on who (or what process) is requesting the data. The result is stronger insider threat defense, reduced blast radius from compromised credentials, and better alignment with Zero Trust and data sovereignty principles in both on-premises and cloud environments.

References

Microsoft documentation: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for SQL Server and Azure SQL Database
Microsoft documentation: Always Encrypted with secure enclaves
Buda Consulting: TDE vs Always Encrypted – What’s the difference?
Brent Ozar: Why TDE won’t stop an attacker (and Always Encrypted might)
Ubiq Security: Identity-Driven Data Protection Platform