Data encryption and secrets management are critical pillars of cloud security. High growth tech teams operating on AWS need a clear, practical approach to ensure data remains protected – whether at rest, in transit, or in use.
In this article, we cover:
- What encryption and secrets management are in AWS
- Why they matter for your product security and compliance
- How to implement them effectively with best practices
What is Data Encryption in AWS?
Data encryption converts readable data into an unreadable format using cryptographic keys, ensuring only authorized users and systems can decrypt and use it.
In AWS, encryption can be implemented through:
- AWS Key Management Service (KMS): Manages encryption keys centrally with granular access control.
- Server-Side Encryption (SSE): Encrypts data at rest within AWS services like S3, EBS, RDS, and DynamoDB using AWS-managed or customer-managed keys.
- Client-Side Encryption: Encrypts data before sending it to AWS for an additional security layer.
Why is Encryption Important for High Growth Companies?
- Protects sensitive customer data and intellectual property
- Ensures compliance with standards like ISO 27001, GDPR, and HIPAA
- Prevents unauthorized access in case of data breaches or compromised credentials
How to Implement Data Encryption in AWS
Here’s a structured approach for your team:
1. Create Customer Managed Keys in AWS KMS
- Navigate to AWS KMS: Create a Customer Master Key (CMK).
- Define Key Administrators and Users: Restrict who can manage and use the key.
- Enable Key Rotation: Recommended annually to maintain cryptographic hygiene.
2. Apply Encryption Across Services
- S3 Buckets: Enable default encryption using your CMK to ensure all uploaded objects are encrypted automatically.
- EBS Volumes: Enable encryption during creation. For existing unencrypted volumes, create a snapshot and restore it with encryption.
- RDS Instances: Enable encryption at creation; existing unencrypted instances require migration to encrypted copies.
3. Use Envelope Encryption for Advanced Use Cases
Envelope encryption encrypts data using data keys, which are then encrypted with the CMK, reducing overhead and improving performance. AWS SDKs support this natively.
What is Secrets Management in AWS?
Secrets management involves storing, retrieving, and rotating sensitive information such as database credentials, API keys, and tokens securely. AWS Secrets Manager simplifies this process.
How to Implement Secrets Management with AWS Secrets Manager
1. Store Secrets Securely
- Go to Secrets Manager in the AWS Console.
- Choose the secret type (e.g., RDS credentials, key-value pairs).
- Name secrets clearly with environment tags like /production/db/password.
2. Enable Automatic Rotation
- Secrets Manager supports automatic rotation using AWS Lambda.
- For RDS credentials, use built-in rotation templates and link to your database for seamless secret rotation.
3. Access Secrets Programmatically
- Use AWS SDKs or CLI to retrieve secrets dynamically at runtime, avoiding hardcoding in your applications or CI/CD pipelines.
4. Apply the Principle of Least Privilege
- Grant minimal required permissions to IAM roles accessing secrets.
- Example: A Lambda function needing DB credentials should have only secretsmanager:GetSecretValue permission for that secret’s ARN.
Best Practices for Encryption and Secrets Management
- Always enable key rotation for CMKs in KMS
- Rotate secrets automatically to reduce risk exposure
- Avoid hardcoded secrets in environment files and pipelines
- Monitor usage with CloudTrail to track key and secret activities
- Implement AWS Config rules for compliance enforcement (e.g., kms-key-rotation-enabled, secretsmanager-rotation-enabled-check)
IAMOPS Recommendations
At IAMOPS, our DevSecOps AI integrates security best practices, including data encryption and secrets management, directly into your DevOps pipelines. It creates actionable workplans tailored to your infrastructure while providing:
- Real-time security scores
- Open recommendations with clear steps
- Full visibility for engineering and leadership teams
Key Takeaways
- Use KMS with customer managed keys for strong encryption control
- Manage secrets with AWS Secrets Manager and enable automatic rotation
- Continuously monitor and audit your encryption and secrets setup
- Partner with IAMOPS to embed robust security without slowing down product delivery
