Amazon Aurora Applies Server-Side Encryption by Default to New Database Clusters

Aurora now encrypts all newly created database clusters by default using AWS-owned keys, enhancing data security transparency and management.

By Victor Hale · Editorial pseudonym · 2026-02-16 · 1 min read

AI-ASSISTED REPORTING · RETROSPECTIVE ARCHIVE

Retrospective edition: 2026-02-16. Source published: 2026-02-16. Added to this archive: 2026-11-03. This briefing was prepared later from the linked announcement; it was not published on this website on the historical edition date.

Amazon Aurora introduced automatic server-side encryption using AWS-owned keys for all new database clusters created without explicit encryption configurations. This measure provides transparent, fully managed encryption at rest without user intervention or performance impact.

Existing clusters remain unaffected, and customers may opt for customer-managed or AWS-managed KMS keys instead of default server-side encryption during cluster creation. This update is deployed globally, including AWS GovCloud regions, strengthening default security postures for new Aurora deployments.

Source & further reading

Amazon Aurora now supports Server-Side Encryption by default ↗

Source published 2026-02-16. This report was prepared with AI assistance from the linked primary-source material. Claims and limitations should be checked against the original announcement or research.