Secrets Management

Table of Contents

• [Overview](#overview)
• [When to Use](#when-to-use)
• [Quick Start](#quick-start)
• [Reference Guides](#reference-guides)
• [Best Practices](#best-practices)

Overview

Deploy and configure secure secrets management systems to store, rotate, and audit access to sensitive credentials, API keys, and certificates across your infrastructure.

When to Use

• Database credentials management
• API key and token storage
• Certificate management
• SSH key distribution
• Credential rotation automation
• Audit and compliance logging
• Multi-environment secrets
• Encryption key management

Quick Start

Minimal working example:

# vault-config.hcl
storage "raft" {
  path    = "/vault/data"
  node_id = "node1"
}

listener "tcp" {
  address       = "0.0.0.0:8200"
  tls_cert_file = "/vault/config/vault.crt"
  tls_key_file  = "/vault/config/vault.key"
}

api_addr     = "https://0.0.0.0:8200"
cluster_addr = "https://0.0.0.0:8201"

ui = true

Reference Guides

Detailed implementations in the references/ directory:

Best Practices

✅ DO

• Rotate secrets regularly
• Use strong encryption
• Implement access controls
• Audit secret access
• Use managed services
• Implement secret versioning
• Encrypt secrets in transit
• Use separate secrets per environment

❌ DON'T

• Store secrets in code
• Use weak encryption
• Share secrets via email/chat
• Commit secrets to version control
• Use single master password
• Log secret values
• Hardcode credentials
• Disable rotation