Amazon’s Relational Database Service (AWS RDS) allows you to offload the responsibility of managing a database, but it also comes with the risk of another external dependency. Fortunately, AWS provides some tools and settings to help with this. When you combine your existing data security policy with the AWS tooling and the advice in this article, you'll be well on your way to managing risk more effectively. Let's dive in with 15 AWS RDS data security best practices.

Secure your apps! Protect sensitive data! Easy to say, harder to find solid answers on all the bits and pieces you need to adjust to make sure that happens. That's why we've put together this list of practical advice for securing your Ruby on Rails applications. Whether you're a Rails developer or work on any stack that relies on cloud technologies, we think you'll find something that stands out.

According to IBM's 2021 report, the average data breach cost more than $4 million worldwide in 2021. In the United States, that number rises to $8 million. That's an over 10% increase over the previous year. So, data breaches are a significant business risk. But costs aren't the only reason to tighten your security. Breaches hurt your clients and your company's reputation. You've seen data breaches in the news. Every day brings news of a fresh attack.

Modern business runs on data. Even companies that produce and sell physical products create, store, and use data. They need it to find customers, maintain relationships, sell products, and monitor costs and profits. Therefore, data is valuable. It's worth protecting, especially when you consider how often we hear about bad actors stealing it. But you can't protect something you don't know you have. You need a complete picture of what data your business is producing, storing, and using.

Software-driven organizations that process sensitive data are increasingly exposed to risks of data breaches. The IBM Cost of a Data Breach Reports reminds us that the average cost of a data breach rose from $3.86M to $4.24M (2021) and that the chance for an organization to experience a data breach within two years is 29.6% (2019).

Data breaches happen to companies across all industries, even within highly secure organizations. In fact, 45 percent of companies experienced a data breach in 2021, a figure that’s bound to increase this year. While you can’t always prevent a data breach, there are steps that you can take to mitigate the damage. It’s also possible to fortify your defenses so your organization is ready if and when the next attack occurs.