Glossary

Secrets rotation is a security best practice that involves regularly updating sensitive credentials like API keys, database passwords, encryption keys, and certificates. By frequently changing these secrets, organizations reduce the risk of unauthorized access, limit the potential damage of leaked credentials, and comply with security regulations and best practices.

When secrets remain static for long periods, they become high-value targets for attackers. A leaked or stolen credential could grant unauthorized access for an extended time, allowing bad actors to move laterally across systems, extract data, or escalate privileges. Regular rotation ensures that even if a secret is compromised, its usefulness is short-lived.

Manual secrets rotation can be tedious and error-prone, especially in large-scale environments with numerous applications, services, and dependencies. Automating rotation minimizes human error, reduces operational overhead, and ensures that secrets are updated without disrupting workflows. Many organizations integrate automated rotation with secrets management platforms, which handle credential updates, distribution, and revocation seamlessly.