Encryption Would Be Nice

Apparently, SQL Server 2000 has no native method to encrypt data in tables. I'm not an expert on encryption, but it seems to me like an enterprise database like SQL Server should support a method to encrypt and decrypt data held in the tables. Not a one-way hash, but an encryption on the way in and decryption on the way out.

Typically, we've accomplished encryption - which from our business requirements usually amounts to "don't store sensitive data in plain text" - using ColdFusion's encrypt() and decrypt() functions. I know they aren't exactly military-strength encryption solutions at 32-bit, but they get the job done well enough.

We're trying to produce a text file extract in SQL Server using DTS, but this encryption thing is really getting us knackered. Sure there are third-party solutions, but we don't have the time and don't want to ask for the money.

I hope something is added to Yukon, or maybe we should consider switching to a real enterprise database.