A database system includes a persistent storage system, a memory storing metadata defining a tenant object and a plurality of database artifacts, a first instance of the tenant object, the first instance associated with a first plurality of the database artifacts including first data associated with the first instance of the tenant object, and a second instance of the tenant object, the second instance associated with a second plurality of the database artifacts including second data associated with the second instance of the tenant object. A processing unit is to execute program code of a database instance to cause the database system to encrypt the first data associated with the first instance of the tenant object using a first public encryption key and store the encrypted first data in the persistent storage system, and encrypt the second data associated with the second instance of the tenant object using a second public encryption key and store the encrypted second data in the persistent storage system.