Encrypting traffic between your applications and databases is essential for safeguarding sensitive information. For Amazon RDS running MySQL or Microsoft SQL Server, you can configure SSL/TLS to protect data in transit and validate that your connections reach legitimate RDS endpoints.
Why SSL/TLS Matters
- Data Encryption: SSL/TLS ensures that the communication channel between your client and Amazon RDS instance is encrypted, preventing eavesdropping.
- Endpoint Verification: A server certificate signed by a trusted CA confirms you are connecting to the correct database endpoint, reducing the risk of spoofing.
- Regional Requirements: Some environments—such as AWS GovCloud—may require intermediate certificates for successful connections.
Downloading the SSL Certificate
- Visit AWS Documentation
Go to the Amazon RDS Documentation on SSL/TLS for the certificate bundle. - Choose Your Region
Each AWS Region uses region-specific certificates. Confirm which bundle applies to your target environment. - Download the Bundle
Save the provided .pem or .crt file to a secure location on your client or server. - Reference in Your Connections
When configuring your connections, specify the path to the downloaded certificate file in your database client or driver settings.
Setting Up SSL/TLS for RDS MySQL
- Obtain Your Instance Endpoint
- In the Amazon RDS console, open Databases, select your MySQL instance, and copy the endpoint from Connectivity & security.
- Enable SSL/TLS
- MySQL clients typically attempt encrypted connections by default when a server supports SSL.
- For stronger validation, pass the certificate file using parameters like –ssl-ca=<path-to-bundle> in your connection command.
- Verify Encryption
- Run a query (for example, checking the Performance Schema or status variables) to confirm Ssl_cipher or similar metrics are active for the session.
Setting Up SSL/TLS for RDS SQL Server
- Force Encryption for All Connections
- In the RDS console, locate your custom parameter group and set rds.force_ssl to true.
- Reboot your instance to apply the changes. All connections will now require SSL/TLS.
- Encrypt Individual Connections
- In SQL Server Management Studio, go to Connect to Server, select Options, and check Encrypt connection.
- Confirm encryption by running a query to inspect encrypt_option; it should return TRUE.
Verifying Secure Connections
- MySQL: Check for SSL-related variables or the cipher in use.
- SQL Server: Run a query confirming the encrypt_option is set to TRUE.
- Intermediate Certificates: If your application cannot handle certificate chains, you may need to install or reference an intermediate certificate for successful handshakes.
