Secrets Managers: Secure Credential Storage for Backup Applications

Author: Michael J. Leaver (2BrightSparks Pte. Ltd.)

A secrets manager is an ultra-secure computer password and key vault that sensitive computer programs and applications utilize to retrieve significant information. It holds the secrets securely from hackers in a way that only authorized people and programs can retrieve them. This renders our online existence safe by keeping unauthorized sources from utilizing these secret codes, in addition to making it simple to alter these codes daily to remain a step ahead of any danger.

As an example, in a backup application, a secrets manager (such as AWS Secrets Manager) is integrated to safely manage critical credentials, such as cloud storage API keys. Instead of putting these keys directly into the application's code, the backup app retrieves them from the secrets manager. The backup application is the only one that has access to the secrets manager. The secrets manager automatically rotates the API keys on a periodic basis for extra security. If the backup software needs to access cloud storage, it retrieves the latest API key from the secrets manager. This method enhances security by not directly exposing sensitive credentials in code but making it easier to deal with vital secrets to facilitate seamless execution of backup activities.

There are numerous secrets managers available, e.g. AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, Google Cloud Secret Manager and HashiCorp Vault.

Secrets Managers

Secrets Managers are specialized software applications that are used to securely store and manage sensitive data in contemporary IT setups. Secrets Managers are especially useful for storing and sharing sensitive information, including API keys, passwords, encryption keys, and other credentials, that applications, services, and users require. The following is a high-level overview of how Secrets Managers function:

Secure Storage: Secrets Managers provide a secure repository for storing sensitive information. This information is encrypted at rest and in transit to ensure that even if unauthorized access occurs, the data remains protected.
Centralized Management: Secrets Managers offer a centralized platform where administrators can create, manage, and organize secrets. This simplifies the process of maintaining and updating credentials, reducing the risk of mistakes and ensuring consistency.
Automation and Rotation: One of the key features of Secrets Managers is automated secret rotation. Credentials, such as database passwords or API keys, can automatically be rotated on a predefined schedule. This is crucial for security because it minimizes the exposure of sensitive information and reduces the potential impact of a data breach.
Access Control: Access to secrets is tightly controlled. Only authorized applications, services, and users have the necessary permissions to retrieve and use the stored secrets. This helps enforce the principle of least privilege and prevents unauthorized access.
Auditing and Logging: Secrets Managers usually offer auditing and logging capabilities. This allows administrators to track who accessed which secrets and when. In the event of a security incident, this information can be valuable for investigation and compliance purposes.
Integration with Applications: Secrets Managers offer APIs and SDKs that enable seamless integration with applications and services. Applications can retrieve secrets programmatically when they need them, without having to hardcode sensitive information into their codebase. SyncBackPro V11, for example, can integrate with numerous Secrets Managers.
Versioning: Many Secrets Managers support versioning of secrets. This means that as secrets are updated or rotated, previous versions are retained. This is useful for cases where applications might still require an older version of a secret.
High Availability and Redundancy: To ensure constant availability of secrets, Secrets Managers often implement redundancy and high availability measures. This prevents a single point of failure from causing disruptions in accessing critical information.
Compliance and Governance: Secrets Managers often offer features to assist with compliance requirements, like generating audit trails and maintaining proper controls over sensitive data. This is especially important for regulated industries.

Secrets Managers are an essential element in securing modern IT systems because they provide a centralized, automated, and secure way of managing sensitive information. They eliminate risks associated with manual secret management, reduce the attack surface, and enforce best practices in security for data.

Advantages

Using a secrets manager offers several benefits that enhance security, operational efficiency, and overall management of sensitive information in modern IT environments. Some of the key benefits include:

Enhanced Security
- Centralized Storage: Secrets are stored in a single, secure repository, reducing the risk of scattered and uncontrolled storage.
- Encryption: Secrets are encrypted at rest and in transit, ensuring that even if unauthorized access occurs, the data remains protected.
- Access Control: Access to secrets is tightly controlled, limiting who can view and manage sensitive information.
- Automated Rotation: Regularly rotating secrets like passwords and keys minimizes the exposure window for potential attackers.
- Elimination of Hardcoding: Secrets aren't hard-coded into applications, reducing the risk of accidental exposure through source code leaks.
Operational Efficiency
- Automated Management: Automated secret rotation and lifecycle management reduce manual intervention and associated errors.
- Versioning: Maintaining historical versions of secrets enables easier recovery and debugging.
- Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: Secrets can be seamlessly integrated into continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines, improving deployment efficiency while maintaining security.
Developer Productivity
- Programmatic Access: Applications and services can programmatically retrieve secrets when needed, streamlining development.
- SDKs and APIs: Secrets Managers provide software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interfaces (APIs) that simplify integration into applications.
Auditing and Compliance
- Auditing Trails: Secrets Managers provide logs that track who accessed secrets and when, aiding in compliance and investigations.
- Compliance Features: Many Secrets Managers offer features to help meet regulatory and compliance requirements.
Reduced Risk
- Least Privilege: Applications only access the secrets they need, reducing the attack surface and adhering to the principle of least privilege.
- Minimized Exposure: Automated rotation and temporary access to secrets minimize the risk of exposure due to human error or prolonged use.
Scalability and Availability
- Redundancy and High Availability: Secrets Managers often offer redundancy and high availability measures, ensuring constant access to critical information.
- Scaling: As your infrastructure grows, a secrets manager can easily accommodate the increasing number of secrets and access requests.
Simplified Management
- Centralized Control: Secrets are managed from a single platform, simplifying administration and reducing complexity.
- Consistency: Uniform management practices are enforced across the organization, reducing the likelihood of misconfigurations or inconsistencies.
Risk Mitigation
- Rapid Response to Breaches: Automated rotation and revocation of compromised secrets limit the potential damage from security breaches.
Vendor-Specific Features
- Integration with Cloud Services: Some secrets managers integrate seamlessly with cloud services, enhancing interoperability and management.

Overall, using a secrets manager improves security posture, reduces operational overhead, and enables a more streamlined and secure approach to managing sensitive information in complex IT environments.

Disadvantages

While using a secrets manager offers numerous advantages, there are also some potential disadvantages and considerations that organizations should be aware of:

Vendor Lock-In: Many secrets managers are tightly integrated with specific cloud providers or platforms. This can create vendor lock-in, making it difficult to switch to a different solution without significant effort and potentially affecting interoperability.
Costs: Secrets managers often come with associated costs, especially when dealing with large numbers of secrets or high access rates. Organizations should consider these costs in their budget planning.
Latency: Accessing secrets from a secrets manager can introduce a slight latency compared to accessing secrets from local configuration files. This may impact application performance, especially in latency-sensitive applications.
Connectivity Dependencies: If your applications or services depend heavily on a secrets manager for critical credentials, any disruptions in connectivity to the secrets manager could lead to service outages.
Learning Curve: Implementing and managing a secrets manager requires familiarity with the tool's features and best practices. There may be a learning curve for both development teams and administrators.
Complexity: Introducing a secrets manager adds another layer of complexity to the overall architecture. This complexity can make troubleshooting and debugging more challenging.
Potential for Misconfiguration:While secrets managers provide better security practices, they can still be misconfigured, leading to accidental exposure of sensitive information. Proper configuration and access controls are essential.
Limited Offline Access: In some cases, secrets managers may require online connectivity to retrieve secrets. This could be a concern in scenarios where applications need to function offline.
Service Availability: Relying on a third-party secrets manager means that your application's availability is partially dependent on the availability of the secrets manager service itself.
Custom Integrations: Integrating a secrets manager into your existing infrastructure and applications might require custom development and adjustments, adding complexity to the implementation process.
Initial Setup Overhead: Implementing a secrets manager may require upfront time and effort to migrate existing secrets and applications to the new system.
Risk of Single Point of Failure: If your application's access to secrets is solely dependent on the secrets manager, a failure in the secrets manager could impact multiple services.
Lack of Standardization: Different cloud providers and vendors offer their own secrets management solutions with varying features and capabilities. This lack of standardization can lead to inconsistency in implementation across environments.

To overcome these disadvantages, organizations must plan well, weigh the trade-offs, and choose a secrets manager that is suitable for their goals and infrastructure. Maximizing the advantages and reducing the limitations of using a secrets manager requires careful planning, training, and continuous administration.

Password Managers

A password manager and a secrets manager are two different yet complementary tools serving different purposes in digital security.

A secrets manager is a tool specifically crafted for the secure storage and handling of sensitive data more than passwords alone. It is utilized primarily by developers, IT admins, and applications to handle various types of secret data, such as API keys, cryptographic keys, tokens, database credentials, and other credentials. Secrets managers provide automated secret rotation, access control, auditing, and application integration.

A password manager is a program that is mainly intended to assist users in managing login credentials for websites and applications. It is meant for personal use and tries to make it easier for users to recall and input complicated and distinctive passwords for various accounts. Password managers store passwords securely and usually include features such as password generation, auto-form filling, and device syncing.

Scope of Use: Secrets managers are intended for organizations, applications, and developers to manage a wide range of sensitive information, including passwords but also other types of secrets. Password managers are aimed at individuals and are primarily focused on managing login credentials for personal accounts.
Types of Information Managed: Secrets managers handle a broader range of sensitive data, such as API keys, tokens, and encryption keys. Password managers specifically focus on managing usernames and passwords for websites and applications.
Target Audience: Secrets managers are used by technical teams and administrators responsible for maintaining security across applications and systems. Password managers are meant for general users who want to simplify password management for their personal online accounts.
Features: Secrets managers offer features like automated secret rotation, auditing, access controls, and integration with CI/CD pipelines. Password managers often provide features like password generation, password strength analysis, and auto-fill capabilities.
Integration: Secrets managers are typically integrated into software applications and cloud infrastructure to manage sensitive information programmatically. Password managers usually offer browser extensions or standalone applications for users to manage their login credentials.
Use Cases: Secrets managers are essential for securing applications and systems by managing various types of secrets used for authentication and encryption. Password managers help individuals use strong, unique passwords for different accounts to enhance personal security.

Though password managers and secrets managers both handle security and secrets, they have different audiences and priorities. Secrets managers are organizational tools for managing sensitive data secrets, whereas password managers are for personal use by individuals who want improved password management.

SyncBackPro

SyncBackPro V11 introduced integration with various secrets managers: AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, Google Cloud Secret Manager and HashiCorp Vault. It can also integrate with the Windows Credential Manager, which is a part of Windows. By using the Windows Credential Manager a user gets a free, local (offline) and less complex way to test using a secrets manager with SyncBackPro.