Tutorial / Cram Notes
Encryption at rest is a critical security feature that ensures your data is protected from unauthorized access when it is stored on disk. In Azure, there are multiple ways to configure encryption at rest, with two primary services: Azure Disk Encryption and Azure Storage Service Encryption. It is a fundamental aspect covered within the AZ-500 Microsoft Azure Security Technologies exam, where professionals learn how to implement platform protection, manage identity and access, secure data and applications, and manage security operations.
Azure Disk Encryption
Azure Disk Encryption leverages the BitLocker feature of Windows and the dm-crypt feature of Linux to provide volume encryption for the OS and data disks. The encryption keys are managed in Azure Key Vault, allowing you to control and manage the keys.
To enable Azure Disk Encryption, follow these steps:
- First, ensure that you have an existing Key Vault or create a new one. This Key Vault must be in the same region as the VM that you want to encrypt.
- Assign an Azure Active Directory (AAD) identity to your virtual machine.
- Give this identity permission to write keys and secrets to the Key Vault.
- Enable encryption on the desired virtual machine disks by using the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI.
For example, to enable encryption using Azure PowerShell:
Set-AzVMDiskEncryptionExtension -ResourceGroupName ‘MyResourceGroup’ -VMName ‘MyVM’ -DiskEncryptionKeyVaultUrl ‘https://mykeyvault.vault.azure.net/’ -DiskEncryptionKeyVaultId ‘/subscriptions/{subscription-id}/resourceGroups/{resource-group-name}/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/{KeyVault-name}’ -KeyVaultResourceId ‘/subscriptions/{subscription-id}/resourceGroups/{resource-group-name}/providers/Microsoft.KeyVault/vaults/{KeyVault-name}’
Azure Storage Service Encryption
Azure Storage Service Encryption enables you to automatically encrypt your data before persisting it to Azure Managed Disks, Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, or Azure Queue storage. It uses Storage Service Encryption with Microsoft-managed keys by default.
For enabling encryption and managing encryption keys in Azure Storage, you can follow these steps:
- Enable Storage Service Encryption on a storage account, if not already enabled.
- Optionally, configure a Key Vault for the storage account to use for key management if you prefer to use your own keys (Customer-Managed Keys).
- If using Customer-Managed Keys, set up the Key Vault and provide the necessary permissions to the storage account.
- Apply the encryption settings to the storage account through the Azure portal, Azure PowerShell, or Azure CLI.
For example, to update a storage account to use customer-managed keys using Azure CLI:
az storage account update –name MyStorageAccount –resource-group MyResourceGroup –assign-identity
az keyvault set-policy –name MyKeyVault –spn $AZURE_CLIENT_ID –storage-permissions get unwrapKey wrapKey
az storage account update –name MyStorageAccount –resource-group MyResourceGroup –encryption-key-source Microsoft.Keyvault –encryption-key-vault https://mykeyvault.vault.azure.net/ –encryption-key-name myKey –encryption-key-version {key-version}
Comparison of Encryption Methods
| Feature | Azure Disk Encryption | Azure Storage Service Encryption |
|---|---|---|
| Supported Services | Azure Virtual Machines, Managed Disks | Azure Blobs, Files, Queues, Disks |
| Encryption Library | BitLocker (Windows), dm-crypt (Linux) | Azure Storage Encryption Libraries |
| Key Management | Azure Key Vault | Azure Key Vault, Managed Keys |
| Encryption Scope | OS and Data Disks | Storage account level |
| Integration | Requires VMs to be provisioned with AAD identity | Enabled by default, optional CMK |
Understanding these encryption methods and capabilities is essential for the AZ-500 exam, which includes objectives on configuring encryption settings, managing and configuring Key Vault, and implementing Azure AD identity protection. Being familiar with PowerShell and CLI commands, as presented in the examples, is also beneficial for the exam since practical implementation skills are often tested.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) is enabled by default for all new Azure Storage accounts.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Storage Service Encryption for data at rest is enabled by default for all new Azure storage accounts, protecting data by using 256-bit AES encryption, one of the strongest block ciphers available.
When using Azure Disk Encryption (ADE), which of the following is used to manage the keys and secrets?
- Azure Service Bus
- Azure Key Vault
- Azure App Service
- Azure Blob Storage
Answer: Azure Key Vault
Explanation: Azure Disk Encryption leverages Azure Key Vault to help you control and manage disk encryption keys and secrets, and to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your data.
True or False: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) can be enabled for Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) helps protect Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Managed Instance against the threat of malicious activity by encrypting data at rest.
Which Azure service do you need to configure if you want to enforce encryption on data at rest for Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)?
- Azure Active Directory
- Azure Container Registry
- Azure Storage
- Azure Key Vault
Answer: Azure Storage
Explanation: Persistent volumes in Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) utilize Azure Storage and can be encrypted at rest using Azure Storage Service Encryption.
True or False: You can only enable encryption at rest during the initial creation of an Azure SQL database.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) can be enabled on an existing Azure SQL database, it’s not limited to the initial creation phase.
Which of the following options are true regarding Azure Disk Encryption (ADE)? (Select all that apply)
- It requires Azure Key Vault.
- It only supports encryption of OS disks.
- It supports encryption for both OS and data disks.
- It encrypts virtual machine disks by default.
Answer: It requires Azure Key Vault, It supports encryption for both OS and data disks.
Explanation: Azure Disk Encryption uses Azure Key Vault to control and manage disk encryption keys and secrets, and supports the encryption of both operating system and data disks.
True or False: Azure Blob Storage supports both server-side encryption and client-side encryption.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Blob Storage supports server-side encryption for data at rest (SSE) and also allows for client-side encryption, where data is encrypted before it’s uploaded to Azure Blob Storage.
Which type of encryption is used by Azure File Sync to secure files during transmission?
- AES-256
- TLS 2
- SSH
- WPA2
Answer: TLS 2
Explanation: Azure File Sync uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) 2 to secure files during transmission, not for encryption at rest, but this ensures the security of the data while in transit.
True or False: Azure Data Lake Store has its own distinct encryption capability separate from Azure Storage Service Encryption.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Data Lake Store uses the same encryption at rest technology as Azure Blob Storage, which is Azure Storage Service Encryption.
For Azure Table Storage, which of the following options enable encryption at rest? (Select all that apply)
- Transparent Data Encryption
- Azure Disk Encryption
- Azure Storage Service Encryption
- Client-side encryption
Answer: Azure Storage Service Encryption, Client-side encryption
Explanation: Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) for data at rest is automatically enabled for Azure Table Storage. Additionally, client-side encryption can be used where data is encrypted before being sent to Azure Table Storage.
True or False: In Azure, to encrypt SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, and Azure Synapse Analytics data at rest, you must install and configure a third-party key management service.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure provides its own key management service through Azure Key Vault, which integrates with Azure SQL Database, SQL Managed Instance, and Azure Synapse Analytics for the management of encryption keys.
What encryption mechanism does Azure use for Managed Disks to ensure data at rest is secured?
- BitLocker
- DM-Crypt
- SSL
- Azure Storage Service Encryption
Answer: Azure Storage Service Encryption
Explanation: Azure Managed Disks are encrypted by default using Azure Storage Service Encryption (SSE) with platform-managed keys for data at rest.
Great post on configuring encryption at rest for Azure! Very helpful for my AZ-500 prep.
What are the key differences between Azure Disk Encryption and Storage Service Encryption?
In the context of compliance, how does encryption at rest fulfill regulatory requirements?
Thanks for this post!
I appreciate the detailed explanation.
Can someone explain the role of Azure Key Vault in encryption at rest?
Configuring encryption at rest in Azure is a crucial step for securing data. Any tips for someone new to the AZ-500 exam?
What’s the difference between SSE with customer-managed keys and SSE with Microsoft-managed keys?