Securing MongoDB Atlas passwords with Doppler

If exposed, secrets like API keys, database credentials, and other sensitive information can lead to severe security breaches and unauthorized access to critical systems. This is why managing secrets is crucial for maintaining a solid security posture.

Hardcoding secrets directly into source code is a widespread issue that creates significant vulnerabilities. When secrets are embedded within code, anyone with access to the code repository can potentially access and misuse these credentials. Moreover, managing these secrets becomes cumbersome, especially when they need to be rotated or updated across different environments.

Developers can mitigate these risks effectively by leveraging a dedicated secrets management solution like Doppler. This approach reduces the risk of secret leaks and unauthorized access, enhancing your applications' overall security.

By using a secrets manager, teams can centralize secrets management across their entire stack, automate secret rotations, and ensure that all applications always use the most current credentials.

Why use MongoDB Atlas with Doppler?

MongoDB Atlas, a multi-cloud developer data platform, has revolutionized how developers handle data management and operational workflows. Designed for versatility, Atlas empowers developers to build a wide variety of applications, from transactional processing to relevance-based search and in-app analytics, all through an elegant and integrated data architecture.

One of MongoDB Atlas' standout features is its first-class developer experience. The flexible document data model used by Atlas maps directly to how developers think and code, simplifying data modeling and application development processes. The unified query interface allows for everything from simple queries and ACID-compliant transactions to advanced real-time analytics and full-text search. Embedded tools for building aggregations and generating on-demand index and schema design suggestions make Atlas even more developer-friendly.

Running Atlas means you can deliver fast and consistent user experiences globally, thanks to its multi-cloud and global reach. Whether you're using AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, Atlas allows you to replicate data across multiple regions and clouds, ensuring high availability and compliance with data sovereignty requirements.

Enhancing MongoDB user password security

Integrating MongoDB Atlas with Doppler provides unparalleled benefits for ensuring the security and efficiency of your data infrastructure. The combination of MongoDB Atlas' data management capabilities and Doppler's secrets management allows organizations to build, deploy, and maintain applications with greater confidence and security.

MongoDB Atlas is engineered with stringent security and reliability measures, including encryption in transit and at rest, and role-based access controls. However, manually managing the static authentication credentials for MongoDB Atlas databases can pose risks. Doppler enhances these security measures by providing automated password rotation and management for MongoDB Atlas users.

With Doppler, you can ensure that your MongoDB Atlas database passwords are rotated securely and automatically. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access due to exposed or outdated credentials. The integration with Doppler means that any changes to your secrets are instantly reflected across your application environments, whether it's development, staging, or production.

Easy configuration and integration

The configuration process is one of the most significant advantages of using Doppler with MongoDB Atlas. The Doppler dashboard and CLI make it easy to manage secrets and their access across various environments. This reduces the complexity often associated with managing multiple databases and environments, streamlining your operational workflows.

Strengthened operational efficiency

Integrating Doppler with MongoDB Atlas doesn't just enhance security; it also boosts operational efficiency. Automated secrets rotation means less manual intervention, reducing the potential for human error and freeing up valuable developer time. This automation ensures that your applications always run with the most current and secure credentials.

Doppler ensures that any updates to your MongoDB Atlas user credentials propagate immediately, thereby avoiding any potential downtime or service disruptions. This is particularly advantageous for organizations with complex, multi-region deployments where consistency and availability are paramount.

Why customers choose Atlas with Doppler

Customers choose MongoDB Atlas combined with Doppler because of the enhanced security, ease of use, and operational excellence that this combination brings. MongoDB Atlas provides a powerful, flexible, and scalable data platform, while Doppler ensures that the secrets that secure this data are managed with precision and care.

Setting up Doppler and MongoDB Atlas for password rotation

Securing your MongoDB Atlas credentials with Doppler is straightforward. Follow these steps to set up automated password rotation, ensuring your database credentials are always secure and up-to-date.

Follow the Doppler Docs on MongoDB Atlas for complete integration steps.

Set up Doppler

• Start by signing up for Doppler.
• Organize your secrets by environment, such as development, staging, or production.
• Navigate to the Doppler config you want to add a rotated secret to.
• Click the dropdown next to Add Secret and select Add Rotated Secret.

• Select MongoDB Atlas from the catalog.

Creating an administrative API key

• To begin, you need an Administrative API key. The key requires the Organization Owner role, which is highly privileged. A key should be created solely for secret rotation - it should be used and stored nowhere else.
• In the MongoDB Atlas dashboard, click on the Access Manager button in the top left, then choose the organization that holds the database instances where you want to rotate passwords.

• Next, in the top right, click on Create API Key. Add a description like DopplerRotationKey and make sure the Organization Owner permission is selected. Click Next.
• Copy the Public Key and Private Key to the rotated secret configuration modal that you initiated earlier. Do not save them anywhere else.

Establishing MongoDB users for rotation

• Doppler requires two MongoDB users so that we can rotate using the two-secret strategy. We recommend two new users to avoid confusion as you transition your services to pull secrets from Doppler.
• In the MongoDB dashboard, go to the Database Access section within the relevant MongoDB project. Click on Add New Database User and configure it as needed. Copy the generated password and enter it into the Doppler rotated configuration screen.
• Repeat this process to create a second user. Click Next to finish the setup.

Verifying and finalizing the setup

• You can choose the prefix for your secrets. In the example below, we used the rotated secret name MONGODB_ATLAS to result in the following two secret names:
  • MONGODB_ATLAS_USERNAME
  • MONGODB_ATLAS_PASSWORD

With Doppler managing your secrets, you can focus on developing and scaling your applications while knowing your database credentials are securely handled.

Elevate your security posture

Integrating Doppler with MongoDB Atlas enhances data security and simplifies secret management, allowing your team to focus on innovation and development. By automating secrets rotation and ensuring real-time updates across your environments, you can maintain a strong security posture with minimal manual intervention.

Start leveraging the combined power of Doppler and MongoDB Atlas to secure your database passwords and streamline your development and deployment workflows. Set up your integration today and experience the enhanced security and operational efficiency firsthand.