Azure PaaS Security

Azure Key Vault: Securing Application Secrets

Azure Key Vault is a cloud-based service that securely stores and manages cryptographic keys, certificates, passwords, and other secrets in a centralised repository

Introduction

Azure Key Vault is a cloud-based service that securely stores and manages cryptographic keys, certificates, passwords, and other secrets in a centralised repository. It enables applications to operate on a copy of the data that’s close to its users. This blog post will explore the implementation of Azure Key Vault and how it secures application secrets.

Implementation

Implementing Azure Key Vault involves several steps:

  1. Create an Azure Key Vault: Navigate to the Azure portal, select ‘Create a resource’, and then choose ‘Key Vault’. Fill in the necessary information and click ‘Create’.

  2. Add secrets to the Key Vault: Once the Key Vault is created, you can add secrets. Navigate to your Key Vault, then ‘Secrets’, and select ‘Generate/Import’. Fill in the secret’s details and click ‘Create’.

  3. Access secrets from an application: To access secrets from an application, you need to use the Azure SDK. Here’s an example in C#:

1
2
3
4

var kvUri = "https://myvault.vault.azure.net";
var client = new SecretClient(new Uri(kvUri), new DefaultAzureCredential());
KeyVaultSecret secret = client.GetSecret("mySecret");
Console.WriteLine(secret.Value);
  1. Manage access to the Key Vault: Azure Key Vault allows you to manage access to the Key Vault by using Access Policies. Navigate to your Key Vault, then ‘Access policies’, and click ‘Add Access Policy’. Choose the permissions you want to grant and click ‘Add’.

Conclusion

Azure Key Vault provides a robust and secure solution for managing application secrets. By centralizing the storage of secrets and providing fine-grained access control, Azure Key Vault enhances the security of applications. The implementation of Azure Key Vault not only secures application secrets but also simplifies their management.

Learn More

For more detailed information about Azure Key Vault, you can visit the following Microsoft Learn articles:

Remember, Azure Key Vault is a continuously evolving platform, so it’s important to stay updated with the latest features and enhancements.