An Introduction to Security in SQL Server 2005

The security features in SQL Server 2005 fall into five categories:

• Authentication

• Authorization

• Auditing

• Cryptography Support

• Surface Area Configuration (SAC)

In addition, each new subsystem is designed with security in mind. For instance, SQLCLR security features help ensure that the .NET CLR code running inside SQL Server is secure and reliable; Service Broker provides multiple layers of security to dialog messages by authenticating and authorizing dialog initiators and targets, by preserving the message integrity, and by securing the transport; and Reporting Services security follows the role-based security model to determine who can perform operations and access items on a report server.

This chapter covers the new security features in each of the five categories and also provides an overview of security features in new subsystems such as SQLCLR and Service Broker. Detailed discussions on subsystems' security features can be found in later chapters.

Let's begin by looking at new security features in the authentication arena.