Field-Level Encryption
Field-level encryption protects individual JSON properties, such as tax IDs or health codes, using per-field keys while less sensitive attributes stay queryable. Applications encrypt before persistence and decrypt only in trusted services, while public API responses expose tokenized or redacted values instead of cleartext secrets.
Technical Architecture & Deep-Dive
Whole-database encryption guards disks but still exposes all columns to compromised application code. Field-level schemes use envelope encryption: a data key encrypts the field, and a KMS master key wraps that data key.
Edge BFFs strip or replace encrypted blobs in responses mobile apps should never decrypt. They may swap ciphertext for last-four display values and route decryption to backend jobs with HSM access, keeping JSON payloads both slim and safe for client caches.
Key Architectural Benefits
Implement Field-Level Encryption at the Edge
Deploy lightweight API aggregation, edge caching, and secret injection in minutes without Docker containers or complex servers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Is field-level encryption the same as TLS?
TLS protects bytes on the wire. Field-level encryption protects specific values at rest and inside JSON bodies after TLS terminates.
Related Architecture Concepts
PII redaction is removing or masking personally identifiable information, such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and payment details, from data before it is exposed, logged, or shared. In APIs, redaction ensures clients and logs receive only the personal data they truly need.
Field masking is the technique of applying a list of allowed or excluded field paths to an API response so only selected properties are returned. Masks can be allowlists that keep named fields or denylists that remove sensitive or unnecessary ones.
An API key is a unique secret string that identifies the application calling an API and authorizes its access. Providers use keys to authenticate requests, enforce quotas, and bill usage. Anyone holding the key can act as your application, so secret keys must stay on trusted servers.