.NET connection to SQL DB encrypted in webconfig - asp.net

Question

We are developing an application with .NET and we are connecting to an SQL 2008 db on a windows server. Up until now we have been a small team which meant that the following code was acceptable:
<add key="ConnectionString" value="Server=00.000.000.00;uid=myUsername;pwd=myPassword;Database=myDatabase" />
This is then called when I want to connect to the database.
Our team is expanding and the new developers should not have access to the database credentials. They will have access to the application code and they have to connect to the database which is on a non-local server whilst running in debug mode locally.
What is the best (and fastest) solution to allow them to connect to the database without having credentials which will allow them to open the database and view the tables?

Answer 1

The quickest and easiest solution would be to encrypt the ConnectionString in your config file. It's pretty simply to do as well.
Open CMD change the directory to the .NET Framework version (your prefered version) directory by typing the following command:
cd \WINDOWS\Microsoft.Net\Framework\yourversion
At the command prompt, run aspnet_regiis.exe with the following options:
The -pe option and the string "connectionStrings" to encrypt the connectionStrings element of the Web.config file for your application.
The -app option and the name of your application.
For example, the following command encrypts the section of the Web.config file for an application named MyApplication.
aspnet_regiis -pe "connectionStrings" -app "/MyApplication"
The encrypted connectionString will look something like
<connectionStrings configProtectionProvider="RsaProtectedConfigurationProvider">
<EncryptedData Type="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#Element"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#">
<EncryptionMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#tripledes-cbc" />
<KeyInfo xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#">
<EncryptedKey xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#">
<EncryptionMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#rsa-1_5" />
<KeyInfo xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#">
<KeyName>RSA Key
</KeyName>
</KeyInfo>
<CipherData>
<CipherValue>WcFEbDX8VyLfAsVK8g6hZVAG1674ZFc1kWH0BoazgOwdBfinhcAmQmnIn0oHtZ5tO2EXGl+dyh10giEmO9NemH4YZk+iMIln+ItcEay9CGWMXSen9UQLpcQHQqMJErZiPK4qPZaRWwqckLqriCl9X8x9OE7jKIsO2Ibapwj+1Jo=
</CipherValue>
</CipherData>
</EncryptedKey>
</KeyInfo>
<CipherData>
<CipherValue>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
</CipherValue>
</CipherData>
</EncryptedData>
</connectionStrings>
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