AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
AWS Key Management Service (KMS) is a managed service that makes it easy to create and manage cryptographic keys and control their use across a wide range of AWS services and applications. KMS provides centralized key management with the security, availability, and scalability that your applications require.
Core Functionality​
Key Creation and Management: Create, import, rotate, disable, and delete cryptographic keys with full lifecycle management capabilities.
Access Control: Use IAM policies and key policies to control who can use and manage keys, implementing fine-grained access controls.
Integration: Seamlessly integrate with AWS services for transparent encryption and decryption without application code changes.
Audit and Compliance: All key usage is logged in AWS CloudTrail for comprehensive auditing and compliance reporting.
Key Types​
AWS Managed Keys: Keys created and managed automatically by AWS services on your behalf, with no management overhead required.
Customer Managed Keys: Keys that you create and manage directly, providing full control over key policies, rotation, and usage.
AWS Owned Keys: Keys owned and managed by AWS services, used to protect resources in multiple customer accounts.
Customer Provided Keys: Keys that you provide and manage outside of KMS while still leveraging AWS encryption capabilities.
Use Cases​
Data Encryption Across AWS Services​
Encrypt data stored in Amazon S3, EBS volumes, RDS databases, DynamoDB tables, and other AWS services using centrally managed encryption keys.
Application-Level Encryption​
Integrate KMS with your applications to encrypt sensitive data like personal information, financial records, or intellectual property before storing or transmitting it.
Compliance and Governance​
Meet regulatory requirements for key management and data protection with hardware security modules (HSMs) and comprehensive audit trails.
Multi-Region Data Protection​
Use multi-region keys to encrypt data that needs to be accessible across multiple AWS Regions while maintaining centralized key management.
Connection to Other AWS Services​
Amazon S3: Encrypt S3 objects using KMS keys with server-side encryption, providing seamless data protection for object storage.
Amazon EBS: Encrypt EBS volumes and snapshots using KMS keys, protecting data on EC2 instances and in backups.
Amazon RDS: Encrypt database instances and automated backups using KMS keys for comprehensive database protection.
AWS Lambda: Encrypt environment variables and function code using KMS keys, securing serverless application configurations.
Amazon DynamoDB: Use KMS keys for server-side encryption of DynamoDB tables, protecting NoSQL data at rest.
AWS Secrets Manager: KMS encrypts all secrets stored in Secrets Manager, providing an additional layer of security for sensitive information.
AWS CloudTrail: All KMS key usage is automatically logged in CloudTrail for security monitoring and compliance auditing.
Key Features​
Automatic Key Rotation: Enable automatic annual rotation of key material for customer managed keys while maintaining access to data encrypted with previous versions.
Key Policies: Define granular permissions for key usage, including which users and roles can encrypt, decrypt, and manage keys.
Cross-Account Access: Securely share keys across AWS accounts while maintaining control over key permissions and usage.
Hardware Security Modules: All key operations are performed in FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validated HSMs for enhanced security.
Benefits​
Centralized Management: Manage all encryption keys from a single location with consistent policies and controls across your AWS environment.
Enhanced Security: Keys never leave KMS unencrypted, and all operations are performed within secure HSMs with strict access controls.
Simplified Integration: Transparent integration with AWS services eliminates the complexity of implementing encryption in applications.
Cost-Effective: Pay only for the keys you create and the requests you make, with no upfront costs or long-term commitments.
Audit and Compliance: Comprehensive logging and monitoring capabilities support compliance with various regulatory requirements.
High Availability: Multi-AZ deployment ensures key availability and durability for business-critical applications.
AWS KMS provides the foundation for encryption across AWS services and applications, enabling organizations to implement comprehensive data protection strategies while maintaining centralized control over cryptographic keys and meeting compliance requirements.