Data entry fields – encryption

RefTracker Data dictionary fields can be encrypted. Contact Altarama if you want to have one or more fields encrypted, or if you need to import encrypted data using a Dynamic Lookup. Altarama will flag the field as encrypted using the Data entry – display mask Feature.

There is also a routine that allows all encrypted fields in the database to be unencrypted and re-encrypted using different encryption parameters. This routine System>Utilities>Administration utilities>Manage field encryption ) allows the new encryption parameters to be entered by Altarama.  The function can only be used by Altarama as the timing of when it is used usually needs to be co-ordinated with the arrival of new encrypted Dynamic Lookups data. A backup also needs to be taken before the routine is run. A system restart is also required in order to trigger the runonce program that does the unencryption/re-encryption and there are start-over mechanisms in place in case of failure mid run.

To complete the secure nature of this feature, there are a series of hidden parameters that hold the encryption key details, and the parameters are themselves encrypted using a different encryption algorithm so they cannot be read in plain text from the database.

This function utilises the RefTracker display mask functionality.