Does data source encryption also apply to Power BI service connection?

[JoepKamps]

Hi all,

When the data source setting in Power BI desktop is set such that the connection is not encrypted (the 'Encrypt connections' checkbox is unchecked, see image below), does this also mean that when the report is published to Power BI service and a data refresh takes place, that this connection from the service to the database (in this case connection with a sql server via gateway) is also not encrypted? Or does the encryption setting only apply to connections from Power BI desktop?

Thanks in advance!

Joep

[collinq · Accepted solution]

Hi @JoepKamps ,

In this article, https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/whitepaper-powerbi-security it appears to me that ALL traffic on the Service is encrypted.  

I would appreciate Kudos if my response was helpful. I would also appreciate it if you would Mark this As a Solution if it solved the problem. Thanks!

[JoepKamps]

Thanks to the help of @collinq and @V-pazhen-msft I found the answer in the provided links. In short, yes data is encrypted when it is being transported via data gateway to the Power BI service. See below for a short description from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/whitepaper-powerbi-security

Data Storage and Movement

In the Power BI service, data is either at rest (data available to a Power BI user that is not currently being acted upon), or it is in process (for example: queries being run, data connections and models being acted upon, data and/or models being uploaded into the Power BI service, and other actions that users or the Power BI service may take on data that is actively being accessed or updated). Data that is in process is referred to as data in process. Data at rest in Power BI is encrypted. Data that is in transit, which means data being sent or received by the Power BI service, is also encrypted.

[V-pazhen-msft · Accepted solution]

@JoepKamps 
It is always encrypted from cloud services including Power bi service, The way it work is the on-premise gateway received the query, and decrypts the query with the credentials (you entered in the service) and connects to one or more data sources with those credentials.

Please check this to see how gateway works with Power bi service. 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/data-integration/gateway/service-gateway-onprem-indepth

Paul Zheng _ Community Support Team
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[collinq · Accepted solution]

Hi @JoepKamps ,

In this article, https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/guidance/whitepaper-powerbi-security it appears to me that ALL traffic on the Service is encrypted.  

I would appreciate Kudos if my response was helpful. I would also appreciate it if you would Mark this As a Solution if it solved the problem. Thanks!