Protecting Sensitive Data with AWS Encryption Services and Key Management Best Practices

Protecting Sensitive Data with AWS Encryption Services and Key Management Best Practices

Protecting your most sensitive data is a priority for all companies, whether you manage a large or smaller business. No target is too small to be vulnerable to cyber threats, and small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are at the highest risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches.

Learn how Amazon encryption services like AWS Key Management Services (AWS KMS) can protect your business data and what are the best practices to follow for maximum efficiency. The best part is, you don’t need to sweat the detail. When you’re a client, these services are all managed under WOLK’s Managed Services Agreement.

How AWS Key Management Service (KMS) Protects Sensitive Data
AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) is a convenient managed service allowing business owners and IT system managers to create and manage cryptographic keys. These keys are used in data encryption, protecting your most sensitive data from unauthorised access.

AWS KMS is easy to use, reducing the process of setting up and managing cryptographic keys to just a few clicks. It is also fully integrated with other critical Amazon services, such as Elastic Block Store (EBS), Amazon S3, and RedShift.

AWS KMS allows you to centralise your cryptographic key management in one easy-to-use point, letting you create, rotate, manage, and delete keys and key permissions.

Data Security at the Source with Amazon S3 Server-Side Encryption
The Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is an object storage service capable of intelligently retrieving data from any location to any device. Amazon S3 is an essential part of many organisations’ workflows, useful for virtually any application: from websites and data archives to mobile applications and enterprise-grade storage.

Besides its storage capabilities, Amazon S3 has many benefits for workplace security and sensitive data protection.

All businesses using Amazon S3 can benefit from its server-side encryption, protecting your data before it reaches AWS data centres and decrypting it when retrieved. Amazon S3 is designed to integrate with AWS KMS, letting you use the cryptographic keys and encryption standards you configured beforehand.

Additionally, since January 2023, all new objects uploaded to Amazon S3 servers are now automatically encrypted, even if you did not specify a key with AWS KMS.

Best Practices to Follow with AWS KMS
Follow these security best practices to maximise business security and make the most out of AWS KMS.

● Always follow the principle of least privilege. Each employee or team member should only have the permissions they need and no more.
● Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on API calls to add another layer of security. MFA ensures that even if an attacker can access an employee’s valid credentials, they cannot tamper with business data without access to that employee’s secure device.
● Allow services such as AWS CloudTrail to audit key usage and monitor all key-related activity.

Enhance Business Data Security with WOLK
As a partner of the AWS Well-Architected Program, WOLK’s team can help your business implement a security plan compliant with the AWS Security pillar. Contact us today to arrange a review.