Searchable encryption for multitenant databases - AWS Database Encryption SDK
Querying beacons in a multitenant database

Searchable encryption for multitenant databases

Our client-side encryption library was renamed to the AWS Database Encryption SDK. This developer guide still provides information on the DynamoDB Encryption Client.

To implement searchable encryption in your database, you must use an AWS KMS Hierarchical keyring. The AWS KMS Hierarchical keyring generates, encrypts, and decrypts the data keys used to protect your records. It also creates the beacon key used to generate beacons. When using the AWS KMS Hierarchical keyring with multitenant databases, there is a distinct branch key and beacon key for each tenant. To query encrypted data in a multitenant database, you must identify the beacon key materials used to generate the beacon you are querying. For more information, see Using the Hierarchical keyring for searchable encryption.

When you define the beacon version for a multitenant database, specify a list of all standard beacons you configured, a list of all compound beacons you configured, a beacon version, and a keySource. You must define your beacon key source as a MultiKeyStore, and include a keyFieldName, a cache time to live for the local beacon key cache, and maximum cache size for the local beacon key cache.

If you configured any signed beacons, they must be included in your compoundBeaconList. Signed beacons are a type of compound beacon that index and perform complex queries on SIGN_ONLY and SIGN_AND_INCLUDE_IN_ENCRYPTION_CONTEXTfields.

Java
List<BeaconVersion> beaconVersions = new ArrayList<>();
    beaconVersions.add(
        BeaconVersion.builder()
                .standardBeacons(standardBeaconList)
                .compoundBeacons(compoundBeaconList)
                .version(1) // MUST be 1
                .keyStore(branchKeyStoreName)
                .keySource(BeaconKeySource.builder()
                        .multi(MultiKeyStore.builder()
                                .keyFieldName(keyField)
                                .cacheTTL(6000)
                                .maxCacheSize(10)
                        .build())
                .build())
        .build()
    );
C# / .NET
var beaconVersions = new List<BeaconVersion>
{
    new BeaconVersion
    {
        StandardBeacons = standardBeaconList,
        CompoundBeacons = compoundBeaconList,
        EncryptedParts = encryptedPartsList,
        SignedParts = signedPartsList,
        Version = 1, // MUST be 1
        KeyStore = branchKeyStoreName,
        KeySource = new BeaconKeySource
        {
            Multi = new MultiKeyStore
            {
                KeyId = branch-key-id,
                CacheTTL = 6000,
                MaxCacheSize = 10
            }
        }
    }
};
keyFieldName

The keyFieldName defines the name of the field that stores the branch-key-id associated with the beacon key used to generated beacons for a given tenant.

When you write new records to your database, the branch-key-id that identifies the beacon key used to generate any beacons for that record is stored in this field.

By default, the keyField is a conceptual field that is not explicitly stored in your database. The AWS Database Encryption SDK identifies the branch-key-id from the encrypted data key in the material description and stores the value in the conceptual keyField for you to reference in your compound beacons and signed beacons. Since the material description is signed, the conceptual keyField is considered a signed part.

You can also include the keyField in your cryptographic actions as a SIGN_ONLY or SIGN_AND_INCLUDE_IN_ENCRYPTION_CONTEXT field to explicitly store the field in your database. If you do this, you must manually include the branch-key-id in the keyField every time you write a record to your database.

Querying beacons in a multitenant database

To query a beacon, you must include the keyField in your query to identify the appropriate beacon key materials required to recalculate the beacon. You must specify the branch-key-id associated with the beacon key used to generate the beacons for a record. You cannot specify the friendly name that identifies a tenant's branch-key-id in the branch key ID supplier. You can include the keyField in your queries in a following ways.

Compound beacons

Whether you explicitly store the keyField in your records or not, you can include the keyField directly in your compound beacons as a signed part. The keyField signed part must be required.

For example, if you want to construct a compound beacon, compoundBeacon, from two fields, encryptedField and signedField, you must also include the keyField as a signed part. This enables you to perform the following query on compoundBeacon.

compoundBeacon = E_encryptedFieldValue.S_signedFieldValue.K_branch-key-id
Signed beacons

The AWS Database Encryption SDK uses standard and compound beacons to provide searchable encryption solutions. These beacons must include at least one encrypted field. However, the AWS Database Encryption SDK also supports signed beacons that can be configured entirely from plaintext SIGN_ONLY and SIGN_AND_INCLUDE_IN_ENCRYPTION_CONTEXT fields.

Signed beacons can be constructed from a single part. Whether you explicitly store the keyField in your records or not, you can construct a signed beacon from the keyField and use it to create compound queries that combine a query on the keyField signed beacon with a query on one of your other beacons. For example, you could perform the following query.

keyField = K_branch-key-id AND compoundBeacon = E_encryptedFieldValue.S_signedFieldValue

For help configuring signed beacons, see Creating signed beacons

Query directly on the keyField

If you specified the keyField in your cryptographic actions and explicitly store the field in your record, you can create a compound query that combines a query on your beacon with a query on the keyField. You might choose to query directly on the keyField if you want to query a standard beacon. For example, you could perform the following query.

keyField = branch-key-id AND standardBeacon = S_standardBeaconValue