Encrypting connections to SQL Server

Securing SQL Server traffic is critical to preventing credential interception and man-in-the-middle attacks. Devolutions Server should always communicate with SQL Server using encrypted channels.

Enable SQL encryption

• In SQL Server Configuration Manager, enable Force Encryption under the SQL Server Network Configuration.

Consult Microsoft's Enable encrypted connections to the Database Engine article for detailed instructions.

Use a valid certificate

• Install a trusted TLS certificate on SQL Server.
• Avoid self-signed certificates in production environments.
• Ensure the certificate includes the server’s FQDN and is issued by a recognized CA.

Client-side verification

• After the SQL Server environment is properly configured, the only change required in Devolutions Server is to enable Use SQL Server encrypted connection in the Database – Advanced settings section of the instance settings.

Compatibility considerations

• Legacy clients that do not support encryption may fail to connect.
• Perform testing before enabling Force Encryption in production.

Compliance notes

Encrypted SQL connections align with requirements from standards such as PCI DSS and NIST, and should be considered mandatory for any environment handling sensitive authentication or vault data.