Azure Key Vault
Azure Key Vault is Microsoft's cloud service for securely storing and managing sensitive information such as passwords, API keys, certificates, and encryption keys.
Overview
Azure Key Vault acts as a centralized secure storage system for sensitive information that applications and services need to function. Think of it as a highly secure digital safe where you can store secrets, encryption keys, and certificates, with detailed control over who or what can access them.
The service handles all aspects of security for sensitive data, including encryption, physical security, monitoring, and access control. Instead of embedding sensitive information in application code or configuration files (which can be risky), applications can retrieve these secrets securely from Key Vault when needed.
One of its key features is centralized management - you can control and audit all access to your secrets from a single place. Key Vault automatically handles complex tasks like certificate renewal, key rotation, and maintaining high availability of your secrets across multiple data centers.
The service is integrated with Azure's identity management system (Azure Active Directory) and provides detailed logging of all access attempts. It can also automatically rotate credentials on your behalf and integrate with other Azure services that need secure access to sensitive information.
Example uses
Application Secrets: Securely store and manage database passwords, API keys, and other application credentials.
Certificate Management: Store and automatically renew SSL/TLS certificates for websites and applications.
Encryption Keys: Manage keys used for encrypting data in databases or storage.
Secrets Management: Centrally manage access tokens, connection strings, and other sensitive configuration values.
Integration with other Azure services
Key Vault works seamlessly with many Azure services:
- Azure App Service: Securely access application secrets
- Azure Functions: Store and retrieve function app settings
- Azure SQL: Manage database encryption keys
- Azure Storage: Manage storage account keys
- Azure DevOps: Store deployment credentials
- Azure Monitor: Track access and usage of secrets
Similar services in other clouds
Other major cloud providers offer similar secret management services:
AWS:
- Secrets Manager
- Key Management Service (KMS)
Google Cloud:
- Secret Manager
- Cloud KMS
While these services provide similar secret management capabilities, Azure Key Vault distinguishes itself with its integrated certificate management, hardware security module (HSM) support, and deep integration with Azure services.