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Azure Managed Disks Security

Securing your data is paramount when using Azure Managed Disks. Azure provides a comprehensive set of security features and best practices to protect your disk data at rest and in transit. This document outlines the key security considerations and mechanisms available for Azure Managed Disks.

Data Encryption

Azure Managed Disks support robust encryption mechanisms to safeguard your data:

Encryption at Rest (SSE)

Server-side encryption (SSE) is enabled by default for all Azure Managed Disks. This encrypts your data while it's at rest in Azure storage. Azure manages the encryption keys, but you have the option to use your own keys for greater control:

  • Microsoft-managed keys: Azure handles the key management lifecycle automatically. This is the default and requires no action.
  • Customer-managed keys (CMK): You can use Azure Key Vault to store and manage your own encryption keys. This provides you with full control over the encryption keys.

Encryption is performed using AES-256, a strong industry-standard encryption algorithm.

Encryption in Transit

Data transfer between Azure services and to/from your VMs over the network is secured using TLS (Transport Layer Security). Azure Storage supports HTTPS for all access to storage accounts and managed disks, ensuring that data is encrypted during transit.

Access Control and Permissions

Azure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is the primary mechanism for managing access to Azure resources, including Managed Disks. You can define granular permissions to control who can manage and access your disks.

  • Built-in Roles: Azure provides several built-in RBAC roles such as "Virtual Machine Contributor", "Storage Blob Data Reader", and "Owner" that can be assigned to users, groups, or service principals.
  • Custom Roles: For more specific requirements, you can create custom RBAC roles to define precise permissions for managing disks, snapshots, and images.
  • Managed Identities: For Azure services to access managed disks without needing credentials embedded in code, use managed identities.

Disk Access Control (Share-level Access)

For certain scenarios, such as sharing snapshots or images, you can control access at the resource level.

Network Security

Azure offers network security features to restrict access to your Managed Disks and associated storage accounts.

  • Private Endpoints: Use Azure Private Endpoints to allow your virtual networks to access Managed Disks and storage accounts over a private IP address. This keeps traffic off the public internet.
  • Firewall Rules: Configure firewall rules on storage accounts associated with Managed Disks to allow access only from trusted IP addresses or virtual networks.

Security Best Practices

Adhering to these best practices can significantly enhance the security posture of your Azure Managed Disks:

Key Recommendations:

  • Enable CMK for sensitive data: If your compliance or security requirements demand it, use Customer-Managed Keys with Azure Key Vault.
  • Implement Least Privilege: Assign RBAC roles with the minimum necessary permissions to users and service principals.
  • Utilize Managed Identities: Avoid storing credentials in code by leveraging managed identities for service-to-service authentication.
  • Secure network access: Use Private Endpoints and firewall rules to limit exposure.
  • Regularly audit access: Monitor access logs and audit RBAC assignments to detect and respond to unauthorized activity.
  • Use Snapshots and Backups: Implement a robust backup strategy using disk snapshots and Azure Backup for disaster recovery and data protection.

Auditing and Monitoring

Azure provides tools for auditing and monitoring access and operations on your Managed Disks:

  • Azure Monitor: Collect and analyze telemetry data from your disks to gain insights into performance and security events.
  • Azure Activity Log: Track management operations performed on your Managed Disks, such as creation, deletion, or configuration changes.
  • Azure Security Center: Leverage Azure Security Center for unified security management and advanced threat protection across your Azure resources.

By implementing these security measures and best practices, you can ensure that your data stored on Azure Managed Disks remains secure and compliant with your organizational policies.

Learn More about Azure Disks