AWS KMS
AWS Key Management Service (KMS) is a managed service that makes it easy to create and control cryptographic keys used to encrypt data. It provides a centralized key management infrastructure integrated with other AWS services for encryption, decryption, and digital signing operations. KMS supports both symmetric and asymmetric keys, with features like key rotation, auditing, and compliance controls.
Developers should use AWS KMS when building applications on AWS that require secure data encryption, such as protecting sensitive information in databases (e.g., RDS, DynamoDB), encrypting S3 objects, or securing application secrets. It's essential for compliance with regulations like GDPR or HIPAA, as it simplifies key lifecycle management and reduces the operational overhead of handling cryptographic keys manually.