Encryption in MongoDB

Using encryption for data security

Encryption is a crucial aspect of data security in MongoDB. It ensures that your data is protected both at rest and in transit. MongoDB offers several encryption options, including encryption at rest, encryption in transit, and field-level encryption.

Encryption at Rest

Encryption at rest ensures that data stored on disk is encrypted. MongoDB Enterprise provides native encryption at rest using the WiredTiger storage engine. You can configure encryption keys and encryption options.

security:
  enableEncryption: true
  encryptionKeyFile: /path/to/keyfile

Encryption in Transit

Encryption in transit protects data as it moves between the client and the server. This can be achieved using SSL/TLS. You can enable SSL/TLS by configuring the appropriate settings in your MongoDB configuration file.

net:
  ssl:
    mode: requireSSL
    PEMKeyFile: /path/to/your/certificate.pem

Field-Level Encryption

Field-level encryption allows you to encrypt specific fields within your documents. This provides a higher level of security for sensitive data. MongoDB's Client-Side Field Level Encryption (CSFLE) enables field-level encryption.

const { MongoClient, ClientEncryption } = require("mongodb-client-encryption");
const client = new MongoClient(uri, {
  useNewUrlParser: true,
  useUnifiedTopology: true,
  autoEncryption: {
    keyVaultNamespace: "encryption.__keyVault",
    kmsProviders: {
      local: {
        key: Buffer.from("", "base64")
      }
    },
    schemaMap: {
      "myDatabase.myCollection": {
        bsonType: "object",
        properties: {
          "ssn": {
            encrypt: {
              bsonType: "string",
              algorithm: "AEAD_AES_256_CBC_HMAC_SHA_512-Deterministic"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
});
await client.connect();

Best Practices for Encryption

When implementing encryption, consider the following best practices:

• Use strong, unique encryption keys and rotate them regularly.
• Encrypt sensitive data both at rest and in transit to ensure comprehensive protection.
• Monitor and audit encryption configurations and access to encryption keys.
• Regularly update your MongoDB software to benefit from the latest security enhancements.