Improve utils performance

**Description**
Currently middleware lacks proper encryption support.

**Proposed solution**
Add configurable encryption with sensible defaults.

**Priority**: Low/Medium

No files, tests, or entry points are named. Start by locating the middleware and any existing configuration or encryption handling, then determine the required configurable options and sensible defaults; done means middleware encryption support works with those defaults and the configuration is covered by the project's relevant checks.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.