Implement secure key management

Secure key management is crucial for protecting data at rest, as it ensures that encryption keys are adequately safeguarded against unauthorized access. By implementing effective key management practices, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

Best Practices

Implement Secure Key Management

• Utilize AWS Key Management Service (KMS) for centralized key management, which simplifies key storage, rotation, and monitoring.
• Establish strict access control policies using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to ensure only authorized users and services can access and manage encryption keys.
• Rotate encryption keys regularly to reduce the risk of exposure; automate key rotation with AWS KMS to ensure compliance and security.
• Apply logging and monitoring using AWS CloudTrail to track key usage and access patterns, allowing for timely detection of unauthorized access attempts.
• Use envelope encryption for added security; encrypt your data with a data key, then encrypt the data key with a key stored in KMS. This enhances both performance and security.

Questions to ask your team

• How are your encryption keys generated and stored?
• What mechanisms are in place for key rotation, and how frequently is it performed?
• Who has access to the encryption keys, and how is that access controlled?
• Are any key access logs maintained, and how often are they reviewed?
• What processes do you have in place to respond to potential key compromise?
• Are the key management solutions integrated with other security practices in your organization?
• How do you ensure compliance with regulatory standards regarding key management?

Who should be doing this?

Cloud Security Engineer

• Design and implement secure key management solutions.
• Ensure proper encryption standards are applied to data at rest.
• Monitor key management systems for unauthorized access or anomalies.
• Rotate encryption keys regularly as per organizational policies.
• Document and manage key lifecycle processes, including generation, storage, rotation, and deletion.

Compliance Officer

• Ensure that key management practices comply with relevant regulations and standards.
• Conduct regular audits of key management processes.
• Report compliance status to stakeholders and recommend improvements.
• Collaborate with the Cloud Security Engineer to validate best practices.

DevOps Engineer

• Integrate secure key management practices into the CI/CD pipeline.
• Automate secret management and provision keys securely in the deployment process.
• Ensure proper access controls for environment variables and key stores in production.
• Collaborate with security teams to ensure development environments mimic security production settings.

Data Governance Officer

• Establish policies for data classification and handling, including securing data at rest.
• Lead initiatives to educate teams on importance and methods of data protection.
• Coordinate with IT to ensure data retention and disposal policies are followed.
• Oversee access control processes related to sensitive data.

What evidence shows this is happening in your organization?

• Key Management Policy Template: A formal policy template outlining best practices for managing cryptographic keys, including key storage, rotation schedules, access controls, and responsibilities of personnel.
• Encryption Key Rotation Plan: A detailed plan that specifies intervals and processes for the rotation of encryption keys, including notifications and access revocation procedures.
• Key Management Dashboard: An interactive dashboard that visualizes key usage, rotation schedules, and compliance metrics, allowing real-time monitoring of key management activities.
• Secure Key Handling Checklist: A checklist used by teams to ensure compliance with secure key management practices during key generation, storage, rotation, and access control.
• Data Protection Strategy Guide: A comprehensive guide outlining strategies for protecting data at rest, including an emphasis on effective key management practices and applicable tools.
• Key Access Control Matrix: A matrix outlining which personnel or system components have access to specific encryption keys, detailing levels of access and associated responsibilities.

Cloud Services

AWS

• AWS Key Management Service (KMS): AWS KMS allows you to create and manage cryptographic keys and control their use across a wide range of AWS services and in your applications, helping to secure your data at rest.
• AWS CloudHSM: AWS CloudHSM provides hardware security modules (HSM) that enable you to generate and use your own encryption keys on the AWS Cloud, supporting compliance and security.
• Amazon S3 Server-Side Encryption: S3 Server-Side Encryption (SSE) provides a way to encrypt your data at rest within Amazon S3, and can be integrated with AWS KMS for key management.

Azure

• Azure Key Vault: Azure Key Vault helps safeguard cryptographic keys and secrets used by cloud applications and services, allowing for secure key management and access control.
• Azure Storage Service Encryption: Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) automatically encrypts your data in Azure Storage at rest, helping to ensure confidentiality and compliance.

Google Cloud Platform

• Google Cloud Key Management Service: Google Cloud KMS allows you to manage cryptographic keys for your cloud services the same way you do on-premises, making it easier to manage access to your sensitive data.
• Google Cloud Storage Encryption: Google Cloud Storage provides built-in encryption for data at rest, ensuring that your data is always encrypted and access is tightly controlled.

Question: How do you protect your data at rest?
Pillar: Security (Code: SEC)