Four Database Security Controls Explained: TDE, Masking, Redaction, and Vault

A technical article by Abhilash Kumar Bhattaram outlines four distinct database security controls — Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), Data Masking, Data Redaction, and Database Vault — arguing that each solves a different compliance problem at a different stage of a data's lifecycle. A common audit failure occurs when organizations treat encryption alone as a complete data-protection strategy, leaving gaps such as developers accessing live PII in test environments or support staff viewing unredacted sensitive fields. The article identifies nine recurring compliance pain points, including unprotected backup files and no single accountable owner for data protection across DBA, application, and InfoSec teams. It maps each problem to a specific technical or organizational control, referencing regulatory frameworks such as RBI, IRDAI, and India's DPDP Act. The author emphasizes that the confusion between these controls is largely a language and ownership problem before it becomes a technical one, and that clarity on which control answers which audit question is often harder than deploying the control itself.