Patent ID: 7797342

Claim:
In a database system, a method for providing automated encryption support for column data which handles requests for encrypted column data from users without decrypt permission, the method comprising: defining Structured Query Language (SQL) extensions for creating and managing column encryption keys, and for creating and managing database tables with encrypted column data; receiving an SQL statement that uses said SQL extensions to specify creation of a particular column encryption key for encrypting column data; receiving at least one SQL statement that uses said SQL extensions to specify creation of a database table having particular column data encrypted with said particular column encryption key and having a default value to be provided in response to requests for said particular column data from a user without decryption permission; upon parsing said SQL statements, creating a database table having particular column data encrypted with said particular encryption key, and storing a decrypt default attribute that associates said default value with said particular column data; in response to a subsequent database operation requesting the particular column data that has been encrypted from a user with decrypt permission on said particular column data, automatically decrypting the particular column data for use by the database operation; and in response to a subsequent database operation requesting the particular column data that has been encrypted from a user without decrypt permission, returning the default value specified for the particular column data by the decrypt default attribute.