Whether you are new to secrets management or are an experienced professional with the concept and just want to refresh your thinking, this content has come at just the right time for you. In technology, we use the term secrets to encompass a wide range of credentials that are all essential to security. It is an unfortunate reality that sensitive data and systems will always be targets of malicious behavior.
However, rest assured. Let’s learn more about automated secrets management and how a centralized management system reduces the risk of losing sensitive information.
What are secrets?
Secrets in DevOps come in many forms and names, but their purpose is to grant privileged access to systems and data.
These include objects that authenticate identities, such as passwords, API keys, tokens, SSH keys, and certificates. We are most familiar with passwords, which let the machine/application know that this person is likely an authorized user.
However, when we talk about secrets, we mean machine-to-machine access validation . Secrets must be kept secure. If the secret is compromised, attackers can gain access to sensitive data and/or systems. This can result in a data breach or other security incident.
Some examples of secrets in use are as follows:
Data and Systems:
- Database credentials that allow a container to access a database server;
- SSH keys used by a local administrator to connect to a database;
- Authentication for secure transactions between complex hybrid and multi-cloud systems.
Applications:
- API keys for third-party services;
- Passwords for accessing databases;
- Containerized applications built as a combined set of microservices that use secrets for secure interactions.
Automation:
- Credentials for a CI/CD pipeline
- Access token for a chatbot
What is automated secrets management?
Secrets management is the process of protecting, storing, and controlling access to sensitive information, such as passwords, API keys, tokens, and certificates , that are essential to the security and functioning of systems and applications. This process ensures that only authorized users have access to the secrets needed to perform their functions, while also protecting this information from unauthorized access and misuse.
Additionally, it involves several practices and techniques, including data encryption, secure storage of credentials, implementation of access policies, and regular rotation of keys and passwords. An effective secrets management approach requires a combination of technical measures and operational procedures to ensure the security and integrity of confidential information.
It also plays a crucial role in regulatory compliance , helping organizations meet data security and privacy requirements such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and industry security standards such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
Why is using secrets management important?
When the number of secrets within the organization is small, secrets management is the responsibility of the application or service developer or administrator.
This may work for a while. However, as technology continues to be the answer to efficiencies and productivity, more systems and applications are deployed. Consequently, DevOps is driving the automation of interactions between them.
Therefore, deploying and automating means that more secrets are needed to authenticate users and applications. With the pace of today’s technology, it won’t be long before your company starts losing track of all the secrets.
Spreading secrets
When too many of these are created, “secret spilling” occurs. You may have heard about a breach or potential breach where a developer mishandled a secret. And it was discovered in plain text within a public repository.
Therefore, centralized secret management enables the following practices that mitigate risks:
- Encrypts secrets instead of storing them in plain text;
- Store secrets in a digital vault with security features in place;
- Enables automatic rotation of secrets;
- Ensures access with minimum privileges so that users and applications have access only to what is necessary to perform required tasks;
- Tracks the use of secrets for auditing and compliance purposes.
You can see from the benefits above how secrets management is a solid practice. A unique advantage that takes your security to a new level, especially with innovative product features like auto-rotated secrets. Even on demand, or when the solution is protected with a Hardware Security Module (HSM).
How does a secrets management solution work?
CipherTrust Secrets Management (CSM) is a next-generation Secrets Management solution from Thales, powered by the Akeyless Vault Platform. It protects and automates access to mission-critical secrets across DevOps tools and cloud workloads.
The new features enhance the capabilities of the CipherTrust Data Security platform to help security and governance teams reduce risk by streamlining security processes across their operations.
So you can reduce the potential for human error and consistently enforce security policies across your organization with :
- Centralized management for all types of secrets;
- Automated, easy-to-use functionality for DevSecOps;
- SaaS (Software as a Service) scalability for hybrid and multi-cloud environments;
- CipherTrust Secrets Management;
- Protecting secrets at scale.
Key Management and Secret Management in a Single Tool
These two combinations provide a fortified vault for all your valuable assets in one place. You’ll be able to achieve greater efficiency with one provider for all your data protection needs. With a single platform, you can seamlessly transition to the Keyless Vault platform through a secure gateway without having to log in separately.
Reduce Operational Complexity
62% of organizations today do not know how many keys or certificates they have across the enterprise, leaving them vulnerable to unauthorized access and breaches.
Another factor is the use of more services and tools that DevSecOps uses to build solutions. They rely on keys and secrets to authenticate these tools and services with each other and with the cloud. Consequently, the dispersion of secrets becomes an increasingly greater risk.
Improve DevSecOps Efficiency with Complete Separation of Responsibilities
In a DevSecOps environment, full separation of duties involves distributing responsibilities related to key management, cryptographic operations, and secrets management among multiple teams or individuals. Complete separation of concerns helps prevent security breaches, promotes accountability, and improves the overall efficiency of development, security, and operations processes.
Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Solutions
Moving to the cloud is a transition, often resulting in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, with some resources located on-premises and others distributed across multiple public and private clouds. CSM is designed to work across these environments and configurations.
Rapid and Scalable Deployment
CipherTrust Secrets Management is easily accessible from the dashboard via an icon, using the same credentials used to access CipherTrust Manager. This makes getting started with CSM quick and effortless. Simply click the Secrets Management icon , select the configuration you want to work with, and you’re ready to take control of your secrets.