Field-Level Encryption and Row-Level Security: Why You Need Both

This is where Field-Level Encryption and Row-Level Security stop being theory and start being the only thing that matters. Data breaches don’t always come from the outside. Sometimes it’s a single misconfigured permission, or a query that ignores the boundaries you thought were there. Field-Level Encryption ensures that sensitive fields — like passwords, SSNs, or credit card numbers — are encrypted before storage and decrypted only when authorized. Row-Level Security ensures users can only view the rows they are allowed to see, based on defined access policies.

Field-Level Encryption protects data at rest and in transit from anyone without the key, including database administrators or compromised servers. It should be enforced at the application layer or supported directly by the database engine. Use strong encryption algorithms such as AES-256 and manage keys with a secure key management service. Never embed keys in application code or environment variables that are lightly protected. Always log access attempts to encrypted fields.

Row-Level Security is about access control granularity. With RLS enabled, every query runs through a policy filter that decides who can see which records. This is enforced by the database itself, not just the application logic. In PostgreSQL, for example, you define policies with CREATE POLICY and enable RLS per table. This makes privilege escalation attempts harder, even if an attacker gains partial access to the database.

Field-Level Encryption and Row-Level Security serve different purposes but work best together. Encryption protects the value from prying eyes; RLS ensures undesired queries cannot return that value in the first place. Implementing both closes common gaps: encryption without RLS can leak metadata, and RLS without encryption trusts the database storage layer too much. Combined, they create layered security across your data model.

To deploy effectively, start from your data classification. Identify which fields require encryption. Define row access rules tied to user identity and roles. Test for leakage paths in queries, exports, and logs. Ensure your key management process is secure and rotated on schedule. Audit both configurations regularly to verify enforcement.

The cost of not having Field-Level Encryption and Row-Level Security is measured in incident reports and sleepless nights. Build them into your schema and your process before the next query runs.

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