What is AWS Secrets Manager?

Introduction

Amazon Web Service (AWS) has a product called Secrets Manager. This article will discuss Secrets Manager. We will learn about what it is, why you should use it, the advantages of using it, how you can store secrets using AWS CLI, how the encryption and decryption process works, the options available, and the cost implications. We will also address some other questions relating to the AWS Secrets Manager.

What is Secrets Manager?

Secrets Manager is a service that helps store secrets. Secrets are special details such as login authentications, application programming interface access codes, and token codes. Secrets can be stored, managed, and retrieved using Secrets Manager. While doing so, you don’t necessarily expose the actual information. This helps maintain confidentiality and yet manages all the details properly and organizedly. It can make certain that only the permitted applications or users can view the secrets.

What is AWS Secrets Manager?

AWS Secrets Manager is one of the services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). These services are structured to assist you in the storage and retrieval process of secrets while maintaining security. AWS Secrets Manager allows you to save secrets such as passwords, API credentials, and connection details for databases. It enables you to rotate, organize, and access secrets seamlessly.

Secrets Manager interoperates with other AWS Solutions. It functions effectively with AWS Lambda, Amazon RDS, and Amazon EC2. It employs the concept of encryption to seal your secrets. AWS Secrets Manager stores Secrets encrypted through AWS Key Management Service (KMS). This makes sure that your secrets are secure.

The AWS API Secrets Manager has an automatic secret rotation feature. This means you can have a schedule for the rotation of secrets and would not have to bother about doing it because the Secrets Manager would do it for you. It also assists in maintaining the security of the secrets as well as updates on the same.

For example, by utilizing AWS Secrets Manager, it is possible to prevent the depotentiation of secrets in an application. This makes your applications more secure: It also makes it easier to change the secrets themselves whenever it is deemed necessary.

Why should you use AWS Secrets Manager?

You can store your secrets in AWS API Secrets Manager. Writing data in plain text format is insecure. Secrets Manager is a versatile and secure way to store secrets and other sensitive information.

It is very easy to rotate secrets in Secrets Manager. Rotating secrets on a timely basis helps improve security. The AWS Secrets Manager CLI also automates the rotation process.

Using Secrets Manager helps you manage access to secrets. You can control who can access your secrets. This ensures that only authorized users or applications can retrieve secrets.

Secrets Manager integrates very easily with other types of AWS services. Hence, this makes it easy to use in your existing AWS environment. This will help you integrate all the services and features together in one place! Moreover, it supports AWS Lambda, Amazon RDS, and more.

Benefits of using AWS Secrets Manager

• Security: AWS Secrets Manager CLI uses AWS KMS to protect your secrets. This platform strongly assures that your secrets are well protected and cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals. They are further protected from the perspective that those who have been cleared to access the group can view them.
• Automatic Rotation: Secrets can be automatically rotated to ensure that they are changed after every usage. AWS Secrets Manager will automatically rotate your secrets on a given schedule, keeping them up to date and safe.
• Easy Management: Secrets Manager provides convenient tools for working with secrets. You can encrypt, decrypt, and even rotate secrets quickly, minimizing the exposure of other sensitive information.
• Integration with AWS Services: It is very well integrated with other AWS secrets manager alternatives. It integrates with AWS Lambda, Amazon RDS, and others, making it easy to use in your existing AWS environment.
• Audit and Compliance: AWS Secrets Manager has audit logs. These logs allow you to see who viewed your secrets and at what time, which assists in achieving compliance objectives.
• Cost-Effective: The cost of AWS Secrets Manager is affordable. It depends on the number of secrets stored and the number of API calls to Vault. There are no costs at the beginning.
• Access Control: You decide who can access your secrets. AWS Secrets Manager also supports very granular permissions, which can prevent unauthorized applications or users from accessing secrets.
• Simplifies Development: AWS Secret Manager helps you avoid coding secrets directly into your applications, making your development process easier and safer.

You can go through AWS Training to get a better idea of the AWS platform.

Storing Secrets Using AWS CLI

AWS Secrets Manager can be used to store secrets by means of the AWS CLI command line tool. If you take an AWS tutorial, you will be able to have a better idea about the platform.

Here is a simple example:

1. Install AWS CLI: First, you must have AWS CLI on your computer or device.

2. Configure AWS CLI:  The AWS CLI needs to have your AWS credentials configured to identify with AWS correctly.

3. Store a Secret: Use the following command to store a secret:

aws secretsmanager create-secret –name MySecret –secret-string “MySecretValue”

4. Retrieve a Secret: Use the following command to retrieve a secret:

aws secretsmanager get-secret-value –secret-id MySecret

5. Update a Secret: Use the following command to update a secret:

aws secretsmanager update-secret –secret-id MySecret –secret-string “NewSecretValue”

AWS Secret Manager encryption and decryption

Moreover, the AWS Secrets Manager integrates with AWS KMS for data encryption and decryption. When you store a secret, Secrets Manager automatically encrypts and stores it within the selected Amazon Web Services KMS key. This ensures that your secrets are protected from the rest of the world because your secret key is with you alone.

When creating a secret to encrypt, AWS Secrets Manager transmits the secret to AWS KMS. Afterward, AWS KMS uses the KMS key to encrypt the secret and return the encrypted data. Besides, AWS Secrets Manager then encrypts the secret and retains it.

When you retrieve a secret, AWS Secrets Manager sends the encrypted data to AWS KMS. Moreover, AWS KMS decrypts the data using the KMS key and returns the decrypted secret. AWS Secrets Manager then returns the decrypted secret to you.

This process also ensures that your secrets are encrypted and decrypted securely. Only authorized users with access to the KMS key can decrypt the secrets.

AWS Secrets Manager alternatives

While AWS Secrets Manager is a great tool, there are other alternatives you can consider:

1. HashiCorp Vault: HashiCorp Vault is a well-known secrets management tool. It offers robust security and access control to authorized users. Besides, the Vault can store and secure secrets, encryption keys, and other sensitive information.
2. Azure Key Vault: Microsoft Azure Key Vault is a tool designed to securely manage cryptographic keys and other secrets. It also assists you in protecting the cryptographic keys and secrets employed by cloud applications. Azure Key Vault is highly interoperable with other Azure services.
3. Google Cloud Secret Manager: Google Cloud Secret Manager is an offering from Google Cloud. It also assists in securely storing and handling API keys, passwords, and any other secrets that you may have. It works seamlessly with other Google Cloud services.
4. CyberArk Conjur:  CyberArk Conjur is a type of secrets management tool that is intended to be used in DevOps. Moreover, when you use this tool, you can maintain integrity in one of the best possible ways. It aids in the administration of secrets and shields your DevOps pipeline. Conjur offers robust access control and auditing features.
5. Doppler: Doppler is a secrets management tool that makes working with and securing environment variables easier. It is seamlessly compatible with other development tools and platforms, easy to use, and has good security protection mechanisms.
6. 1Password Secrets Automation: 1Password Secrets Automation is a secret management tool that works with different development and deployment tools. It incorporates rather powerful encryption and access control abilities.
7. Akeyless Vault: Akeyless Vault is a secure tool for secret management. It assists with managing and safeguarding secrets, encryption keys, and certificates. Additionally, this tool can be easily implemented with other development tools.
8. AWS Parameter Store: AWS offers another service, AWS Parameter Store. This tool helps you manage all configuration data and secrets. Parameter Store is also cheaper than AWS Secrets Manager.

Each of these alternatives has its own advantages and disadvantages. You should choose the one that will serve you best.

AWS Secrets Manager Pricing

The AWS Secrets Manager pricing model depends on the number of secrets and API requests. You pay $0.40 per secret per month. Additionally, you pay $0.05 per 10,000 API calls. There are no upfront costs. You only pay for what you use.

Conclusion

AWS Secrets Manager is a powerful tool for managing secrets. It helps you store, manage, and retrieve secrets securely. Features like automatic rotation, encryption, and integration with other AWS services simplify the process of managing secrets.

FAQS

What is AWS Secrets Manager for?

AWS Secrets Manager securely stores and manages secrets like passwords and API keys. It helps you retrieve them safely.

What is the difference between AWS Secrets Manager and IAM?

Secrets Manager stores secrets. IAM controls access to AWS resources. Secrets Manager handles sensitive data, while IAM manages who can access it.

What are the benefits of Secrets Manager?

Benefits include security, automatic rotation, easy management, AWS integration, audit logs, cost-effectiveness, and access control.

Is Secrets Manager inside VPC?

Yes, Secrets Manager can be used inside a VPC to store and retrieve secrets securely.