AWS Database Speciality Exam - Part 4

Encrypt data at rest and in transit.

 Encrypt data in relational and NoSQL databases

Encrypting data in relational and NoSQL databases is crucial for protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access. Here are the general approaches to encrypt data in both types of databases:

Relational Databases:

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE):

Many relational databases, such as Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL, offer TDE as a built-in feature.
TDE encrypts the entire database or specific columns at the storage level, ensuring that data remains encrypted at rest. Encryption and decryption are handled transparently by the database engine, requiring no changes to the application code.

Column-level Encryption:

Relational databases often provide the ability to selectively encrypt sensitive columns. This approach allows you to encrypt specific columns containing sensitive data while leaving other columns unencrypted.
Applications accessing the data need to handle encryption and decryption operations explicitly.

NoSQL Databases:

Field-level Encryption:

NoSQL databases typically offer field-level encryption, allowing you to encrypt specific fields or attributes within documents or records.
You can define encryption policies and algorithms for individual fields.
Applications interacting with the database must encrypt and decrypt the data explicitly.

Client-side Encryption:

In some cases, you may opt for client-side encryption, where the encryption and decryption processes occur outside of the database.
The application encrypts the data before storing it in the database and decrypts it when retrieving the data.
This approach gives you full control over the encryption process but requires additional implementation effort.
General Best Practices:

Key Management:

Securely manage encryption keys and ensure they are protected from unauthorized access. Use a robust key management system or service to generate, store, rotate, and revoke encryption keys.

Secure Key Storage:

Store encryption keys separately from the encrypted data to provide an additional layer of security.
Consider using hardware security modules (HSMs) or cloud-based key management services to protect keys.

Encryption Algorithms and Standards:

Use industry-standard encryption algorithms and protocols, such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), for secure encryption.
Stay up to date with the latest encryption standards and best practices.

Access Controls and Authentication:

Implement strong access controls and authentication mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the encrypted data.
Enforce appropriate user privileges and role-based access control (RBAC) to limit access to sensitive data.

Data in Transit:

Encrypt data when it's transmitted between applications and the database using secure communication protocols such as TLS/SSL.

Regular Security Audits and Vulnerability Assessments:

Conduct periodic security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify potential weaknesses in the encryption implementation or configuration.
Remember to refer to the specific documentation and security guidelines provided by your database vendor for detailed instructions on implementing encryption features within your chosen relational or NoSQL database.

 Apply SSL connectivity to databases

To apply SSL connectivity to databases, you need to follow specific steps depending on the type of database service you are using. Here are the general steps to enable SSL connectivity for common database services:

Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service):

Open the Amazon RDS console and select the RDS instance for which you want to enable SSL connectivity.
In the instance details page, go to the "Configuration" tab.
Under the "Security" section, select the appropriate SSL option based on your database engine:
MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL: Choose the "Require SSL" option.
Oracle: Choose the "Use SSL" option.
SQL Server: Choose the "Enabled" option.
Save the configuration changes, and RDS will enforce SSL connections for the selected database engine.
Amazon Aurora:

The steps for enabling SSL connectivity in Amazon Aurora are similar to Amazon RDS.
Open the Amazon RDS console and select the Aurora cluster.
Go to the "Configuration" tab and enable SSL by selecting the appropriate option under the "Security" section.
Save the changes, and SSL connections will be enforced for the Aurora cluster.
Amazon DocumentDB:

Amazon DocumentDB provides SSL/TLS encryption by default, and clients are required to use SSL to connect.
When connecting to Amazon DocumentDB, ensure that your client application uses SSL/TLS to establish a secure connection.
Amazon Redshift:

Amazon Redshift supports SSL/TLS encryption for client connections.
To enable SSL for Redshift, configure your client application to connect using SSL and provide the appropriate SSL options, including the SSL certificate and key.
Self-Managed Databases:

For self-managed databases running on EC2 instances or other infrastructure, the steps to enable SSL connectivity will vary depending on the specific database software being used.
Generally, you need to generate or obtain an SSL certificate and configure the database server to use the certificate for secure connections.
Refer to the documentation of your database software for detailed instructions on how to enable SSL connectivity.
When configuring SSL connectivity, you will need an SSL certificate and key. You can either generate a self-signed certificate for testing purposes or obtain a trusted SSL certificate from a certificate authority (CA) for production environments.

It's important to note that enabling SSL connectivity adds an additional layer of security by encrypting the communication between the client and the database. It helps protect sensitive data from unauthorized access during transmission.

Remember to test the SSL connectivity after enabling it to ensure that the database and the client applications can establish secure connections successfully. Implement key management (e.g., AWS KMS, AWS CloudHSM)

5.2 Evaluate auditing solutions.

 Determine auditing strategies for structural/schema changes (e.g., DDL)

 Determine auditing strategies for data changes (e.g., DML)

 Determine auditing strategies for data access (e.g., queries)

 Determine auditing strategies for infrastructure changes (e.g., AWS CloudTrail)

 Enable the export of database logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs

To enable the export of database logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs, you can follow these general steps depending on the specific database service you are using:

Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service):

Open the Amazon RDS console and select the RDS instance for which you want to enable log export.
In the instance details page, go to the "Logs & events" section.
Click on "Edit" next to the "Export logs to Amazon CloudWatch Logs" option.
Enable the log types you want to export, such as error logs, general logs, slow query logs, or PostgreSQL logs.
Choose an existing CloudWatch Logs group or create a new one to store the exported logs.
Save the configuration, and RDS will start exporting the specified logs to CloudWatch Logs.

Amazon DynamoDB:

DynamoDB natively integrates with CloudWatch Logs for exporting streams and related events. Open the DynamoDB console and select the table for which you want to enable log export. In the table details page, go to the "Manage Stream" section. Enable the DynamoDB Streams feature if it's not already enabled. Select the "Export to CloudWatch Logs" option.
Choose an existing CloudWatch Logs group or create a new one to store the exported logs. Save the configuration, and DynamoDB will start exporting the table's stream and events to CloudWatch Logs.
Amazon DocumentDB, Amazon ElastiCache, and other database services:

Each database service may have its own specific approach to enabling log export to CloudWatch Logs.
Refer to the respective documentation of the specific database service you are using for detailed instructions on how to enable log export.
Once the logs are exported to CloudWatch Logs, you can perform various tasks, such as creating custom log metrics, setting up log-based CloudWatch Alarms, creating log-based CloudWatch Dashboards, or configuring log data retention.

It's important to note that enabling log export to CloudWatch Logs may incur additional costs for storing and analyzing logs in CloudWatch. Make sure to review the pricing details for CloudWatch Logs and consider any cost implications before enabling log export.

Additionally, ensure that appropriate IAM (Identity and Access Management) permissions are assigned to the AWS resources to allow the necessary interactions between the database service and CloudWatch Logs.

5.3 Determine access control and authentication mechanisms.

 Recommend authentication controls for users and roles (e.g., IAM, native credentials, Active Directory)

 Recommend authorization controls for users (e.g., policies)

5.4 Recognize potential security vulnerabilities within database solutions.

 Determine security group rules and NACLs for database access

 Identify relevant VPC configurations (e.g., VPC endpoints, public vs. private subnets,

demilitarized zone)

 Determine appropriate storage methods for sensitive data