Glossary

Secrets management is the process of securely storing, accessing, and distributing sensitive credentials such as API keys, database passwords, encryption keys, and certificates. These credentials, often referred to as "secrets," are essential for authentication and secure communication between applications, services, and infrastructure. However, improper handling of secrets can lead to security breaches, data leaks, and unauthorized access.

Traditionally, developers stored secrets in .env files, hardcoded them into source code, or managed them manually across systems. These practices introduce significant risks, including accidental exposure in public repositories, inconsistent access control, and difficulties in secret rotation. Secrets management solutions mitigate these risks by centralizing secret storage, enforcing access controls, and automating credential lifecycle management.

A robust secrets management strategy includes encryption at rest and in transit, fine-grained access controls, and automated rotation policies. Role-based access control (RBAC) and least privilege principles ensure that only authorized services or individuals can retrieve specific secrets. Additionally, logging and auditing features provide visibility into secret usage, helping teams detect and respond to potential security incidents.

Adopting a dedicated secrets manager not only strengthens security but also improves developer workflows. Instead of manually configuring credentials for different environments, teams can rely on a centralized solution to inject secrets dynamically at runtime. This eliminates configuration drift, reduces operational overhead, and streamlines secret distribution across cloud-native and on-premises environments.