AWS Key Management Service (KMS)
Create and control the encryption keys used to protect your data
Overview
AWS Key Management Service (KMS) makes it easy for you to create and manage cryptographic keys and control their use across a wide range of AWS services and in your applications. AWS KMS is a secure and resilient service that uses hardware security modules (HSMs) that have been validated under FIPS 140-2, or are in the process of being validated, to protect your keys.
✨ Key Features
- Centralized key management
- Create and manage symmetric and asymmetric keys
- Automatic key rotation
- Integration with over 100 AWS services for data encryption
- Fine-grained access control using IAM and key policies
🎯 Key Differentiators
- Seamless integration with the broadest range of AWS services
- Uses FIPS 140-2 validated hardware security modules
- Centralized control and auditing via CloudTrail
Unique Value: Simplifies data protection by providing a centralized, secure, and highly available service to manage cryptographic keys and control their use across AWS.
🎯 Use Cases (4)
✅ Best For
- Using a customer-managed key to encrypt an S3 bucket
- Encrypting an EBS volume attached to an EC2 instance
💡 Check With Vendor
Verify these considerations match your specific requirements:
- Managing your own HSM (use AWS CloudHSM instead)
🏆 Alternatives
Offers a more integrated and managed solution for key management within AWS compared to self-hosted options like HashiCorp Vault, and provides deeper integration than other cloud providers' KMS offerings for AWS workloads.
💻 Platforms
🔌 Integrations
🛟 Support Options
- ✓ Email Support
- ✓ Live Chat
- ✓ Phone Support
- ✓ Dedicated Support (Business, Enterprise tier)
🔒 Compliance & Security
💰 Pricing
Free tier: 20,000 requests per month and 1 customer managed key are free.
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