Hello Spicefolk!
I spy with my little eye a SQL Express database deployed on a Windows Server 2012 VM that needs to be encrypted. It's a back-end DB for an app running elsewhere, everything within being setup by the mentioned app.
I only have system level access, and SQL Express has been chosen because it's free and the setup it's in doesn't need anything more fancy.
All the cool built-in SQL encryption features come with the paid SQL Standard and above. At least AFAIK.
I've had a crack at column level encryption but I wasn't able to get my head around it.
I've also tried to encrypt the folder containing the DB files using EFS, but that didn't end up well either.
I need the DB (or its folder, or contents) encrypted for various reasons, main being I need to being able to prove/show that it's actually encrypted.
Anything that's both free or up...