Secure Secret Management with Azure Key Vault

Requirement

Acme Corp, a global enterprise, needs to securely store and manage sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, certificates, and cryptographic keys. They require a centralized solution that ensures secure access, key rotation, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Acme Corp’s infrastructure includes various Azure services, on-premises systems, and third-party solutions. They need to integrate these data sources into a single platform for comprehensive secret management.

Requirement Analysis

Acme Corp faces several challenges in achieving their secret management goals:

• Data Security: Ensuring that sensitive information is securely stored and accessed.
• Key Rotation: Regularly rotating cryptographic keys to enhance security.
• Compliance: Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements for data security and privacy.
• Integration: Integrating with various Azure services, on-premises systems, and third-party solutions.
• Access Control: Controlling who can access the secrets, keys, and certificates stored in the Key Vault.

Solution

Azure Key Vault can address Acme Corp’s secret management requirements by providing a scalable, cloud-native solution. Here’s how Azure Key Vault can be implemented:

1. Vault Creation: Create an Azure Key Vault in the Azure portal. This vault will serve as the central repository for secrets, keys, and certificates.
2. Secret Storage: Store secrets such as API keys and passwords in the Key Vault. Use the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell to add secrets to the vault.
3. Key Management: Use Azure Key Vault to manage cryptographic keys used for data encryption. Create, import, and manage keys, and perform key rotation to enhance security.
4. Certificate Management: Manage SSL/TLS certificates in Azure Key Vault. Provision, manage, and deploy certificates for use with Azure services and internal applications.
5. Access Control: Configure access policies to control who can access the secrets, keys, and certificates stored in the Key Vault. Use Azure role-based access control (RBAC) or Key Vault access policies to grant permissions to users and applications.
6. Monitoring and Alerts: Use Azure Monitor to track the usage and health of the Key Vault. Set up alerts to notify of any unauthorized access attempts or other security incidents.

Security

To secure the solution:

• Encryption: Ensure data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Implement RBAC to control access to Azure Key Vault resources.
• Integration with Azure Active Directory (AAD): Use AAD for authentication and authorization.
• Audit Logs: Enable audit logs to track access and changes to the system.

Best Practices

• Regularly Rotate Keys: Keep cryptographic keys up-to-date by regularly rotating them.
• Monitor Access: Regularly monitor access to the Key Vault to ensure only authorized users have access.
• Automate Secret Management: Use automation tools to manage secrets, keys, and certificates efficiently.
• Conduct Regular Security Audits: Perform regular security audits to ensure compliance with security policies.

Cost Optimization

• Pay-As-You-Go Pricing: Take advantage of Azure Key Vault’s pay-as-you-go pricing model to optimize costs.
• Free Data Ingestion: Utilize free data ingestion for certain Microsoft sources to reduce costs.

Azure Resources

• Azure Key Vault: The core secret management solution.
• Azure Monitor: For monitoring and logging.
• Azure Active Directory: For authentication and authorization.
• Azure Storage: For storing logs and data.

References

• Azure Key Vault Overview
• Quickstart: Create a Key Vault and Secrets
• Quickstart: Create a Key Vault and Keys
• Quickstart: Create a Key Vault and Certificates
• Azure Active Directory Overview