The Service Master Key must be backed up and stored in a secure location that is not on the SQL Server.

Severity	Group ID	Group Title	Version	Rule ID	Date	STIG Version
medium	V-213973	SRG-APP-000231-DB-000154	SQL6-D0-009600	SV-213973r961128_rule	2025-02-12	3

Description
Backup and recovery of the Service Master Key may be critical to the complete recovery of the database. Creating this backup should be one of the first administrative actions performed on the server. Not having this key can lead to loss of data during recovery.

ℹ️ Check
Review procedures for and evidence of backup of the Server Service Master Key in the System Security Plan. If the procedures or evidence does not exist, this is a finding. If the procedures do not indicate that a backup of the Service Master Key is stored in a secure location that is not on the SQL Server, this is a finding. If procedures do not indicate access restrictions to the Service Master Key backup, this is a finding.

ℹ️ Check

Review procedures for and evidence of backup of the Server Service Master Key in the System Security Plan. If the procedures or evidence does not exist, this is a finding. If the procedures do not indicate that a backup of the Service Master Key is stored in a secure location that is not on the SQL Server, this is a finding. If procedures do not indicate access restrictions to the Service Master Key backup, this is a finding.

✔️ Fix
Document and implement procedures to safely back up and store the Service Master Key in a secure location that is not on the SQL Server. Include in the procedures methods to establish evidence of backup and storage, and careful, restricted access and restoration of the Service Master Key. BACKUP SERVICE MASTER KEY TO FILE = 'path_to_file' ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'password'; As this requires a password, take care to ensure it is not exposed to unauthorized persons or stored as plain text.

✔️ Fix

Document and implement procedures to safely back up and store the Service Master Key in a secure location that is not on the SQL Server. Include in the procedures methods to establish evidence of backup and storage, and careful, restricted access and restoration of the Service Master Key. BACKUP SERVICE MASTER KEY TO FILE = 'path_to_file' ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'password'; As this requires a password, take care to ensure it is not exposed to unauthorized persons or stored as plain text.