Security is the biggest barrier to cloud adoption, and encryption of sensitive data is the hardest part of security. Once you decide to encrypt your sensitive data, getting encryption key management right is the biggest challenge. Storing an encryption key in the same cloud instance with the protected data is faux security, and won’t pass the sniff test in any audit or review of security best practices. So, where do you store the encryption keys?

In Amazon Web Services (AWS), you now have a new key management option that perfectly fits the AWS architecture and usage model, enables security best practices such as Separation of Duties and Dual Control, and provably meets industry standards such as FIPS 140-2.

Alliance Key Manager for AWS extends our Cloud Service Provider support to the popular Amazon platform alongside our existing cloud support for Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, and VMware vSphere cloud platforms. For cloud users who need dedicated key management HSMs, our existing Alliance Key Manager Cloud HSM solution will serve AWS customers.

Alliance Key Manager for AWS uses the same FIPS 140-2 compliant technology as our network-attached hardware security module (HSM) solution. You can deploy the Alliance Key Manager AMI directly from the AWS Marketplace, and have a functional encryption key management solution dedicated to you and ready to use in SECONDS with an automatic 30-day evaluation license. You do not share any part of your key management with anyone else, and you have exclusive management of encryption keys. There is no aspect of key management administration that is under the control of Townsend Security, the cloud provider, or anyone else. There is no part of your encryption key that is shared with Townsend Security, and no dependence on any encryption service outside of your key management AMI.

Customers who register with Townsend Security get access to our encryption applications, SDKs, customer support, extended documentation, developer program, and optional Premium support. It’s the perfect AWS key management solution for both small organizations and large enterprises who want to deploy an affordable key management solution based on industry standards and certifications.

In addition to traditional key management, Alliance Key Manager for AWS implements Encryption-as-a-Service. You don’t have to retrieve an encryption key, perform encryption in your application, and then zero the encryption key. To minimize the chance of exposing the encryption key to loss, you can directly send data to the key manager and have it encrypted and returned to your applications. You leverage Alliance Key Manager’s NIST-validated AES encryption and the key never leaves the key manager.

Until now Amazon Web Service customers had no access to simple, affordable, and compliant encryption key management solutions. All of that has changed with Alliance Key Manager for AWS.

Enjoy.

Patrick