Data Encryption & Key Management

Data encryption and key management are essential for protecting sensitive information in SecureCart. AWS provides various services and tools to encrypt data at rest and in transit, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and compliance with industry standards like PCI DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA.

✔ Why does SecureCart prioritize encryption & key management?

• Prevents unauthorized data access.

• Protects customer payment and personal data.

• Ensures compliance with industry regulations.

• Secures API and service-to-service communications.

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🔹 Step 1: Understanding Data Encryption in AWS

AWS provides encryption for data at rest and in transit using AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS), TLS encryption, and various AWS storage services.

Encryption Type	Description	Use Case in SecureCart
Encryption at Rest	Protects stored data from unauthorized access.	Encrypts customer order history in RDS, DynamoDB, and S3.
Encryption in Transit	Protects data as it moves across networks.	SecureCart encrypts API traffic and customer transactions using TLS (HTTPS).
Client-Side Encryption	Encrypts data before sending it to AWS.	Encrypts highly sensitive logs before storing in S3.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Encrypt all sensitive customer and transaction data. ✔ Use AWS KMS for centralized encryption key management. ✔ Ensure TLS 1.2 or later is enforced for all communication.

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🔹 Step 2: Implementing Encryption at Rest

✔ Why encrypt data at rest? – Prevents unauthorized access if storage media is compromised. ✔ How SecureCart Encrypts Data at Rest:

Service	Encryption Method	Use Case in SecureCart
Amazon RDS	AWS KMS Encryption	Protects customer order and payment data in MySQL/PostgreSQL.
Amazon DynamoDB	AES-256 Encryption	Encrypts order transactions & user session data.
Amazon S3	S3 Default Encryption (AES-256)	Ensures stored product images, invoices, and logs are encrypted.
Amazon EBS	Volume Encryption	Encrypts attached storage for EC2 instances.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Enable default encryption for all storage services (RDS, S3, DynamoDB, EBS). ✔ Use KMS key rotation for enhanced security. ✔ Implement S3 bucket policies to enforce encryption on all uploads.

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🔹 Step 3: Implementing Encryption in Transit

✔ Why encrypt data in transit? – Prevents eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks. ✔ How SecureCart Ensures Secure Data Transfers:

Encryption Type	Use Case in SecureCart
TLS 1.2+ (HTTPS)	Encrypts API calls between frontend & backend services.
AWS Certificate Manager (ACM)	Manages SSL/TLS certificates for ALB & API Gateway.
AWS PrivateLink	Securely connects third-party APIs without exposing services to the public internet.
IPsec VPN	Encrypts traffic between SecureCart’s on-premises environment and AWS.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Enforce TLS 1.2 or later for all internal and external communications. ✔ Use AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) for automatic certificate management. ✔ Avoid hardcoding encryption keys in application code.

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🔹 Step 4: AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS)

✔ What is AWS KMS? – A managed key service that allows secure creation, rotation, and auditing of encryption keys. ✔ How SecureCart Uses AWS KMS:

• Encrypts database storage (RDS, DynamoDB, EBS).

• Manages API keys & signing certificates for transactions.

• Enforces automatic key rotation for long-term security.

AWS KMS Feature	Use Case in SecureCart
Customer Managed Keys (CMKs)	SecureCart generates specific KMS keys per environment (Dev, Staging, Production).
Automatic Key Rotation	Enables automatic yearly key rotation for all encryption keys.
AWS CloudTrail Integration	Logs all KMS API calls to detect unauthorized access attempts.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Use separate KMS keys for different environments (Dev, Staging, Prod). ✔ Enable key rotation to minimize risks from long-lived keys. ✔ Apply IAM policies to restrict key access based on roles.

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🔹 Step 5: Implementing Customer-Managed Encryption Keys

✔ Why use Customer-Managed Keys (CMKs)? – Provides full control over key policies and auditing.

KMS Key Type	Use Case
AWS-Managed Keys	Default encryption for services like S3, RDS, and DynamoDB.
Customer-Managed Keys (CMKs)	Used when SecureCart needs full control over access policies and key lifecycle management.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Restrict IAM policies on encryption keys to only authorized services. ✔ Use separate keys for different data classifications (e.g., PII vs. logs). ✔ Enable KMS key deletion protection to prevent accidental key deletions.

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🔹 Step 6: Data Masking & Tokenization

✔ Why? – Prevents exposure of sensitive data in logs, databases, and API responses. ✔ How SecureCart Implements Data Masking & Tokenization:

Method	Use Case
DynamoDB Tokenization	Customer payment details stored as unique tokens instead of actual credit card numbers.
Amazon Macie	Scans S3 buckets for exposed sensitive data.
AWS Lambda Data Redaction	Redacts sensitive PII data before logging transactions.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Implement tokenization for highly sensitive data. ✔ Use data masking in logs and API responses to avoid exposing PII. ✔ Enable Amazon Macie to scan S3 for sensitive data leaks.

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🔹 Step 7: Auditing & Monitoring Encryption Activities

✔ Why? – Ensures ongoing security compliance and detects unauthorized access. ✔ How SecureCart Monitors Encryption & Key Usage:

AWS Security Tool	Purpose	Use Case in SecureCart
AWS CloudTrail	Logs all KMS API calls	Detects unauthorized key access attempts.
AWS Security Hub	Centralized security monitoring	Aggregates key-related security alerts.
Amazon Macie	Identifies sensitive data exposure	Finds unencrypted customer data in S3.
AWS Key Usage Metrics	Tracks encryption key operations	Detects excessive key usage that could indicate misuse.

✅ Best Practices: ✔ Enable CloudTrail logs for KMS activity tracking. ✔ Use AWS Security Hub to centralize encryption alerts. ✔ Set up CloudWatch alarms for suspicious key access patterns.

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🚀 Summary

✔ Encrypt all data at rest using AWS KMS, S3 default encryption, and database encryption. ✔ Secure data in transit using TLS, ACM, and AWS PrivateLink. ✔ Manage encryption keys with AWS KMS and enforce IAM-based access controls. ✔ Monitor encryption activities with CloudTrail, Macie, and Security Hub. ✔ Apply data masking and tokenization for extra protection of PII.

Scenario:

SecureCart must encrypt sensitive customer data at rest and in transit to meet compliance and security standards.

Key Learning Objectives:

✅ Use AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) for encryption ✅ Implement AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) for TLS encryption ✅ Apply IAM policies to restrict access to encryption keys ✅ Rotate encryption keys and renew certificates

Hands-on Labs:

1️⃣ Encrypt an S3 Bucket Using AWS KMS 2️⃣ Configure TLS/SSL Certificates Using AWS ACM 3️⃣ Apply IAM Policies to Restrict Key Usage

🔹 Outcome: SecureCart secures customer data using AWS encryption services.