AWS's Key Management Service uses which method to perform extra integrity checks when decrypting data?

AWS's Key Management Service (KMS) employs the encryption context as a method to perform additional integrity checks during the data decryption process. The encryption context is a set of key-value pairs that are associated with the encryption operation. When data is encrypted, this context is included; thus, it acts as a form of metadata that provides an extra layer of validation when decrypting the data.

During decryption, KMS checks that the encryption context provided matches the one that was originally specified during the encryption process. If there is a mismatch, indicating that either the data or the accompanying metadata may have been tampered with or altered, KMS will refuse to decrypt the data. This ensures that the data being decrypted is indeed the correct and intended data, reinforcing the security of encrypted data throughout its lifecycle.

This process emphasizes the importance of integrity and verification in securing sensitive information, which is a key aspect of cloud security practices.