AWS Secret Management All About

AWS Secret Management is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that enables secure storage, management, and access control of sensitive information within the AWS ecosystem.

In AWS, we have two secret management services known as AWS Systems Manager and AWS Secrets Manager which have different purposes when it comes to managing and storing sensitive information.

AWS Secret Manager: A dedicated AWS service for securely storing and managing secrets like API keys, passwords, and certificates. It offers automated rotation, secure access, and integration with AWS services.

AWS Systems Manager: It manages configurations, parameters, and metadata, API URLs, including non-sensitive information.

Use Cases:

AWS Secret Manager: Ideal for securely managing API keys, database passwords, encryption keys, and other sensitive information used by applications.

AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store: Used for storing non-sensitive data, such as configuration settings, environment variables, or application-specific parameters like feature toggles or application settings.

When we Choosing the Right Tool:

AWS Secret Manager and Systems Manager: Suitable for organizations heavily depends on AWS services, needing secure secret storage and broader configuration management within AWS.

HashiCorp Vault: For specific compliance requirements, multi-cloud support, and more advanced customization needs outside AWS's ecosystem.

In conclusion, the choice between AWS Secrets Manager, AWS Systems Manager, and HashiCorp Vault for storing and managing sensitive information depends on the specific needs of our environment and infrastructure