This post is related to this tip: Natively Encrypting Social Security Numbers - SQL Server 2005

http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1383

 Hi,
Great intro artical.  I tried the sample code and used the follow grants to test.  (I know never grant to public).  When I decrypt I still getting ascii character in the decryptbycert column.  Did I miss something?

GRANT VIEW DEFINITION ON CERTIFICATE :: certabclients TO public
GRANT CONTROL ON CERTIFICATE :: certabclients TO public

 select  ss_plain,ss_cert 'ss_cert',
 convert(nvarchar(50),
 decryptbycert(cert_id('certabclients'),ss_cert)) 'decryptbycert'
from tblClients

 Plain Text     ss_cert                                                        SS_decrypt
1234567890 0xF1642E9549F9B281D31F0D8BA6C77165 ㈱㐳㘵㠷〹

Thanks
Riskworks

Good evening.  It looks like you have the right syntax.  How did you encrypt the data when it was inserted?  Thanks-TC