diff --git a/backend/.env.example b/backend/.env.example
index 09d9e83..d56d6cc 100755
--- a/backend/.env.example
+++ b/backend/.env.example
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ DB_PORT=5432
 DB_USER=postgres
 DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword
 DB_NAME=gohorsejobs
+DB_SSLMODE=require
+
+# S3/Object Storage Configuration (S3-compatible)
+AWS_REGION=nyc1
+AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-access-key
+AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret-key
+AWS_ENDPOINT=https://objectstore.nyc1.civo.com
+S3_BUCKET=your-bucket-name
 
 # JWT Secret (CHANGE IN PRODUCTION!)
 JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key-change-this-in-production-use-strong-random-value
diff --git a/backend/go.mod b/backend/go.mod
index d916ad7..b0d14c1 100644
--- a/backend/go.mod
+++ b/backend/go.mod
@@ -14,6 +14,25 @@ require (
 
 require (
 	github.com/KyleBanks/depth v1.2.1 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2 v1.41.0 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws/protocol/eventstream v1.7.4 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/config v1.32.5 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/credentials v1.19.5 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/feature/ec2/imds v1.18.16 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/configsources v1.4.16 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/endpoints/v2 v2.7.16 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/ini v1.8.4 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/v4a v1.4.16 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/accept-encoding v1.13.4 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/checksum v1.9.7 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/presigned-url v1.13.16 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/s3shared v1.19.16 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/s3 v1.93.2 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/signin v1.0.4 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sso v1.30.7 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ssooidc v1.35.12 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts v1.41.5 // indirect
+	github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.24.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-openapi/jsonpointer v0.22.3 // indirect
 	github.com/go-openapi/jsonreference v0.21.3 // indirect
 	github.com/go-openapi/spec v0.22.1 // indirect
diff --git a/backend/go.sum b/backend/go.sum
index 1f67f93..83cf5f6 100755
--- a/backend/go.sum
+++ b/backend/go.sum
@@ -1,5 +1,43 @@
 github.com/KyleBanks/depth v1.2.1 h1:5h8fQADFrWtarTdtDudMmGsC7GPbOAu6RVB3ffsVFHc=
 github.com/KyleBanks/depth v1.2.1/go.mod h1:jzSb9d0L43HxTQfT+oSA1EEp2q+ne2uh6XgeJcm8brE=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2 v1.41.0 h1:tNvqh1s+v0vFYdA1xq0aOJH+Y5cRyZ5upu6roPgPKd4=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2 v1.41.0/go.mod h1:MayyLB8y+buD9hZqkCW3kX1AKq07Y5pXxtgB+rRFhz0=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws/protocol/eventstream v1.7.4 h1:489krEF9xIGkOaaX3CE/Be2uWjiXrkCH6gUX+bZA/BU=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/aws/protocol/eventstream v1.7.4/go.mod h1:IOAPF6oT9KCsceNTvvYMNHy0+kMF8akOjeDvPENWxp4=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/config v1.32.5 h1:pz3duhAfUgnxbtVhIK39PGF/AHYyrzGEyRD9Og0QrE8=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/config v1.32.5/go.mod h1:xmDjzSUs/d0BB7ClzYPAZMmgQdrodNjPPhd6bGASwoE=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/credentials v1.19.5 h1:xMo63RlqP3ZZydpJDMBsH9uJ10hgHYfQFIk1cHDXrR4=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/credentials v1.19.5/go.mod h1:hhbH6oRcou+LpXfA/0vPElh/e0M3aFeOblE1sssAAEk=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/feature/ec2/imds v1.18.16 h1:80+uETIWS1BqjnN9uJ0dBUaETh+P1XwFy5vwHwK5r9k=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/feature/ec2/imds v1.18.16/go.mod h1:wOOsYuxYuB/7FlnVtzeBYRcjSRtQpAW0hCP7tIULMwo=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/configsources v1.4.16 h1:rgGwPzb82iBYSvHMHXc8h9mRoOUBZIGFgKb9qniaZZc=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/configsources v1.4.16/go.mod h1:L/UxsGeKpGoIj6DxfhOWHWQ/kGKcd4I1VncE4++IyKA=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/endpoints/v2 v2.7.16 h1:1jtGzuV7c82xnqOVfx2F0xmJcOw5374L7N6juGW6x6U=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/endpoints/v2 v2.7.16/go.mod h1:M2E5OQf+XLe+SZGmmpaI2yy+J326aFf6/+54PoxSANc=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/ini v1.8.4 h1:WKuaxf++XKWlHWu9ECbMlha8WOEGm0OUEZqm4K/Gcfk=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/ini v1.8.4/go.mod h1:ZWy7j6v1vWGmPReu0iSGvRiise4YI5SkR3OHKTZ6Wuc=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/v4a v1.4.16 h1:CjMzUs78RDDv4ROu3JnJn/Ig1r6ZD7/T2DXLLRpejic=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/internal/v4a v1.4.16/go.mod h1:uVW4OLBqbJXSHJYA9svT9BluSvvwbzLQ2Crf6UPzR3c=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/accept-encoding v1.13.4 h1:0ryTNEdJbzUCEWkVXEXoqlXV72J5keC1GvILMOuD00E=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/accept-encoding v1.13.4/go.mod h1:HQ4qwNZh32C3CBeO6iJLQlgtMzqeG17ziAA/3KDJFow=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/checksum v1.9.7 h1:DIBqIrJ7hv+e4CmIk2z3pyKT+3B6qVMgRsawHiR3qso=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/checksum v1.9.7/go.mod h1:vLm00xmBke75UmpNvOcZQ/Q30ZFjbczeLFqGx5urmGo=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/presigned-url v1.13.16 h1:oHjJHeUy0ImIV0bsrX0X91GkV5nJAyv1l1CC9lnO0TI=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/presigned-url v1.13.16/go.mod h1:iRSNGgOYmiYwSCXxXaKb9HfOEj40+oTKn8pTxMlYkRM=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/s3shared v1.19.16 h1:NSbvS17MlI2lurYgXnCOLvCFX38sBW4eiVER7+kkgsU=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/internal/s3shared v1.19.16/go.mod h1:SwT8Tmqd4sA6G1qaGdzWCJN99bUmPGHfRwwq3G5Qb+A=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/s3 v1.93.2 h1:U3ygWUhCpiSPYSHOrRhb3gOl9T5Y3kB8k5Vjs//57bE=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/s3 v1.93.2/go.mod h1:79S2BdqCJpScXZA2y+cpZuocWsjGjJINyXnOsf5DTz8=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/signin v1.0.4 h1:HpI7aMmJ+mm1wkSHIA2t5EaFFv5EFYXePW30p1EIrbQ=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/signin v1.0.4/go.mod h1:C5RdGMYGlfM0gYq/tifqgn4EbyX99V15P2V3R+VHbQU=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sso v1.30.7 h1:eYnlt6QxnFINKzwxP5/Ucs1vkG7VT3Iezmvfgc2waUw=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sso v1.30.7/go.mod h1:+fWt2UHSb4kS7Pu8y+BMBvJF0EWx+4H0hzNwtDNRTrg=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ssooidc v1.35.12 h1:AHDr0DaHIAo8c9t1emrzAlVDFp+iMMKnPdYy6XO4MCE=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/ssooidc v1.35.12/go.mod h1:GQ73XawFFiWxyWXMHWfhiomvP3tXtdNar/fi8z18sx0=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts v1.41.5 h1:SciGFVNZ4mHdm7gpD1dgZYnCuVdX1s+lFTg4+4DOy70=
+github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go-v2/service/sts v1.41.5/go.mod h1:iW40X4QBmUxdP+fZNOpfmkdMZqsovezbAeO+Ubiv2pk=
+github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.24.0 h1:LpilSUItNPFr1eY85RYgTIg5eIEPtvFbskaFcmmIUnk=
+github.com/aws/smithy-go v1.24.0/go.mod h1:LEj2LM3rBRQJxPZTB4KuzZkaZYnZPnvgIhb4pu07mx0=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/go-openapi/jsonpointer v0.22.3 h1:dKMwfV4fmt6Ah90zloTbUKWMD+0he+12XYAsPotrkn8=
diff --git a/backend/internal/database/database.go b/backend/internal/database/database.go
index ce1f83e..3c6c66e 100755
--- a/backend/internal/database/database.go
+++ b/backend/internal/database/database.go
@@ -34,8 +34,13 @@ func InitDB() {
 		port = "5432"
 	}
 
-	connStr := fmt.Sprintf("host=%s port=%s user=%s password=%s dbname=%s sslmode=disable",
-		host, port, user, password, dbname)
+	sslmode := os.Getenv("DB_SSLMODE")
+	if sslmode == "" {
+		sslmode = "require" // Default to require for production security
+	}
+
+	connStr := fmt.Sprintf("host=%s port=%s user=%s password=%s dbname=%s sslmode=%s",
+		host, port, user, password, dbname, sslmode)
 
 	DB, err = sql.Open("postgres", connStr)
 	if err != nil {