AWS SSM Parameter Store

Overview

• Fully managed, serverless service for storing configuration data and secrets (e.g., API keys, database passwords).

• Centralized, versioned, and optionally encrypted storage.

Key Features

• KMS Encryption – Optional integration to store parameters securely.

• Versioning – Keeps history of all changes with the ability to roll back.

• IAM Security – Fine-grained access control via IAM policies.

• EventBridge Integration – Trigger workflows or notifications when parameters change.

• CloudFormation Support – Use parameters directly in stacks.

Use Cases

• Store plaintext or encrypted configuration values.

• Securely manage secrets for Lambda, ECS, or EC2 workloads.

• Automate workflows on configuration changes.

How It Works

1. Application requests parameter.

2. SSM checks IAM permissions.

3. If encrypted, KMS decrypts the value.

4. Value is returned to the application.