🔒 Security in Distributed Systems

Welcome back to The Code Hut Distributed Systems series! In this post, we’ll explore essential security practices for distributed systems.

Why Security Matters

Distributed systems are exposed to more attack vectors than monolithic systems. Proper security ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and services.

1. Authentication

Verify the identity of users or services:

• Common approaches: OAuth2, JWT, API keys
• Use centralized identity providers for microservices

// Spring Security JWT example
Authentication authentication = authenticationManager.authenticate(
    new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(username, password)
);
String token = jwtProvider.generateToken(authentication);

2. Authorization

Control what authenticated users or services can access:

• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Attribute-based access control (ABAC)

// Spring Security role-based example
@PreAuthorize("hasRole('ADMIN')")
public void deleteOrder(Long orderId) {
    orderRepository.deleteById(orderId);
}

3. Data Protection

Protect data in transit and at rest:

• Use TLS/SSL for communication
• Encrypt sensitive data in databases
• Mask or redact sensitive logs

// Example: encrypting a field
String encryptedCard = AES.encrypt(creditCardNumber, secretKey);

Next in the Series

In the next post, we’ll explore Event-Driven Architecture in distributed systems, including Kafka, event sourcing, and asynchronous workflows.

Label for this post: Distributed Systems