What are security considerations for SSL/TLS configuration?

When configuring SSL/TLS for MySQL, several security considerations should be kept in mind to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data in transit. Here are some key points to consider:

  • Use Up-to-Date Protocols: Ensure that only strong and up-to-date versions of TLS are enabled, while disabling outdated protocols like SSLv2 and SSLv3.
  • Certificate Management: Utilize trusted certificates issued by a well-known Certificate Authority (CA). Self-signed certificates can be used but require manual verification.
  • Strong Cipher Suites: Configure your MySQL server to use only strong cipher suites. Disable weaker ciphers that could be susceptible to attacks.
  • Regular Updates: Keep your MySQL server and libraries updated to the latest versions to protect against known vulnerabilities.
  • Server Authentication: Enable server certificate validation for clients to ensure they are communicating with the legitimate server and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
  • Client Authentication: Consider implementing mutual TLS (mTLS) where both the client and server authenticate each other.

Example Configuration

CREATE SSL \ 'cert.pem', \ 'key.pem', \ 'ca-cert.pem'; \ \\ SET GLOBAL require_secure_transport = ON; \ \\ SET GLOBAL ssl_cipher = 'HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5'; \

SSL TLS MySQL security secure communication database encryption