How do you use IIS encryption to protect sensitive data in transit and at rest?

1 What is encryption and why is it important?

Encryption is the process of transforming data into an unreadable format using a secret key or algorithm. Only the authorized parties who have the key or algorithm can decrypt the data and access its original content. Encryption helps you protect your data from hackers, eavesdroppers, and malicious insiders who might try to steal, modify, or leak it. Encryption also helps you meet the requirements of various regulations and frameworks, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST.

2 How to encrypt data in transit with IIS?

Data in transit is the data that travels between your web server and your clients, such as browsers or mobile devices. To encrypt data in transit, you need to use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, which create a secure and encrypted connection between the server and the client. IIS supports SSL and TLS and allows you to configure them for your website or web application. To use SSL or TLS, you need to obtain a digital certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) and install it on your web server. Then, you need to enable SSL or TLS for your website or web application in IIS Manager and bind it to the certificate. You can also use IIS URL Rewrite module to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS and enforce SSL or TLS for all connections.

3 How to encrypt data at rest with IIS?

Data at rest is the data that is stored on your web server or in a database. To encrypt data at rest, you need to use encryption algorithms or tools that apply to your data storage format and location. For example, if you store your data in a SQL Server database, you can use Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) or Column Encryption to encrypt the entire database or specific columns. If you store your data in files or folders on your web server, you can use BitLocker or Encrypting File System (EFS) to encrypt the disk or the file system. You can also use IIS Crypto tool to configure the encryption algorithms and protocols that IIS uses for communication and encryption.

4 How to manage encryption keys with IIS?

Encryption keys are the secret keys or algorithms that are used to encrypt and decrypt data. You need to manage your encryption keys properly to ensure their security and availability. You should store your encryption keys in a secure location, such as a key vault, a hardware security module (HSM), or a cloud service. You should also rotate your encryption keys periodically and revoke them if they are compromised or expired. You can use IIS Configuration Editor to manage the encryption keys that IIS uses for its configuration files, such as applicationHost.config and web.config. You can also use IIS Administration API to manage the encryption keys that IIS uses for its administration features, such as access control and logging.

5 How to monitor and audit encryption with IIS?

Monitoring and auditing encryption is essential to verify its effectiveness and compliance. You should monitor and audit your encryption activities, such as encryption and decryption events, key usage, key changes, and encryption errors. You can use IIS Logging to record the encryption information that IIS generates, such as SSL or TLS status, cipher suite, protocol version, and certificate details. You can also use IIS Advanced Logging to customize the encryption information that you want to log, such as client certificate information, certificate validation results, and certificate revocation status. You can also use IIS Failed Request Tracing to troubleshoot encryption issues, such as SSL or TLS handshake failures, certificate errors, and encryption exceptions.

6 How to test and optimize encryption with IIS?

Testing and optimizing encryption is important to ensure its performance and security. You should test and optimize your encryption settings, such as encryption algorithms, protocols, certificates, and keys. You can use IIS Crypto tool to test and optimize the encryption algorithms and protocols that IIS uses for communication and encryption. You can also use SSL Labs tool to test and optimize the SSL or TLS configuration of your website or web application. You can also use Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) to scan and optimize the security of your web server and its encryption components.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?