Data security in Drupal is a top concern. Townsend Security recently launched our Drupal Developer Program to engage Drupal developers in building stronger, more secure websites, and to give back to the Drupal community by creating a collaborative network of Drupal developers concerned with data security and compliance regulations. Members of the Drupal Developer Program gain free access to Alliance Key Manager, our FIPS 140-2 compliant cloud key manager, as well as NIST-validated AES onboard encryption, for non-production testing and development.

Many Drupal developers today run up against tricky situations when developing websites that collect sensitive data such as payment card information, personally identifiable information (PII), and user passwords--not just commerce information. Developers are asking themselves, “what compliance regulations do I face”, “which data needs to be encrypted”, and “how do I do encryption and key management right to meet compliance?”

With Key Connection for Drupal, an API designed to offboard encryption keys to a secure key server, encryption and key management is made easier than ever.  Now Drupal developers can join the Drupal Developer Program and learn how to do encryption and key management right.

Here are the top reasons to consider joining the Drupal Developer Program:

1. Encryption and key management is critical to effective data security in Drupal website development.
Today, Drupal is a top CMS for all kinds of websites. Some of these websites, such as commerce, health, and government websites collect sensitive data from users that must be encrypted under compliance regulations such as PCI, HIPAA and FISMA. These compliance regulations also have clear language strongly recommending, if not requiring, encryption and key management.
As Drupal developers take on larger clients, these compliance regulations become a greater concern. Historically, the Encrypt module could be used to encrypt any sensitive data collected; however, there was no adequate means to protect encryption keys. Today, with Key Connection for Drupal, developers can help their clients manage encryption keys away from encrypted data on a secure key server and create websites that effectively protect sensitive data.

2. Learn how to encrypt sensitive data and properly manage encryption keys
In the last year, many of the largest data breaches could have been avoided if proper encryption and key management was implemented. Within the Drupal Developer Program, Drupal developers can learn how to implement encryption and key management into their projects from the ground up. Encrypting and management encryption keys is actually quite easy now in Drupal, and learning how to use these tools will prepare Drupal developers for larger projects that require strong data security.

3. Implement strong data security in your web development projects from the ground up
Adding data security after-the-fact is difficult. Building your websites and applications using strong encryption and key management from the ground up prevents data security projects from turning into a massive headache. The Drupal Developer Program allows developers to test encryption and key management in their projects from the start to avoid a complicated project down the road.

4. Build your knowledge of compliance requirements and help to educate your colleagues
Our Drupal Developer Program is designed to educate developers on encryption and key management best practices as well as any compliance regulations you may face. We continuously offer resources to help you learn what you need to know to meet PCI DSS, HIPAA, GLBA/FFIEC, FISMA, and other compliance regulations, as well as state privacy law requirements.

5. It’s free!
There’s no charge to join our Drupal Developer Program. With free access, we hope to give Drupal Developers the freedom to learn about, test, and implement strong encryption and key management so that you will become a security thought leader in your own organization!