Design Data Encryption Strategies

Key Concepts

• Data at Rest Encryption
• Data in Transit Encryption
• Key Management

Data at Rest Encryption

Data at rest encryption refers to securing data that is stored physically on a storage device, such as a hard drive or a database. This ensures that even if the physical storage device is compromised, the data remains encrypted and unreadable without the appropriate decryption key.

Example: Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) automatically encrypts data stored in Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, and Azure Disk Storage. This ensures that data is encrypted before being written to disk and decrypted when accessed.

Analogy: Think of data at rest encryption as a locked safe. The data is securely stored inside, and only those with the key can access it, ensuring that the information remains protected even if the safe is physically accessed.

Data in Transit Encryption

Data in transit encryption involves securing data that is being transmitted over a network. This ensures that data is encrypted while moving between systems, preventing unauthorized interception and ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.

Example: Azure uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt data in transit. When data is transmitted between Azure services or between an Azure service and a client application, TLS ensures that the data is encrypted and secure.

Analogy: Consider data in transit encryption as sending a sensitive letter in a sealed, tamper-proof envelope. The letter is secure during transit, and only the intended recipient can open and read it, ensuring that the information remains confidential.

Key Management

Key management involves the secure generation, storage, rotation, and revocation of encryption keys. Proper key management is crucial for maintaining the security of encrypted data, as the keys themselves are critical to the encryption process.

Example: Azure Key Vault provides a secure solution for managing encryption keys. It allows for the centralized storage of keys, secrets, and certificates, ensuring that they are protected and can be securely accessed by authorized applications.

Analogy: Think of key management as the process of securely storing and managing the keys to a safe. The keys must be kept in a secure location, periodically changed (rotated), and only provided to authorized individuals, ensuring that the contents of the safe remain protected.