Getting started with Key vault

1. Getting started with Key vault

Now, let’s explore how Azure Key Vault works! It's your app's secure vault for storing sensitive data like passwords and secrets, safely away from your code.

2. Risk of hardcoding secrets

Now picture storing your password on a sticky note. That’s what hardcoding secrets in your app feels like. It's quick, but risky. Secrets in code are hard to rotate, tough to track, and one copy-paste away from a breach.

3. The fix: Azure Key vault

Key Vault gives you one secure place to store sensitive items, all protected and managed by Azure.

4. Why use Key vault?

Key Vault is built into Azure, scales effortlessly, and integrates smoothly with your apps and pipelines.

5. What does Key vault Store?

Let’s see what Key Vault stores. It’s built to manage three important components: Secrets, Certificates, and Keys. We’ll go through each one step by step starting with Secrets.

6. Secrets

Secrets are things your app needs to connect or authenticate like API keys, passwords, or connection strings. Instead of putting them in code, you can store them securely in Key Vault. They’re encrypted, versioned, and only accessible to services that need them. It’s a safer, cleaner way to manage credentials and rotate them when needed.

7. Example: secrets in PeopleSphere

For example, PeopleSphere, our HR app, keeps its payroll database password in Key Vault instead of hardcoding it in the app. This ensures credentials are rotated and kept secure.

8. Certificates

Now, let’s look at Certificates. Certificates act like ID cards for your app. They prove its identity and enable secure connections over HTTPS. Key Vault stores them safely, and can even renew them automatically especially when using integrated partners like DigiCert or GlobalSign, which are trusted certificate authorities that issue and validate digital certificates.

9. Example: certificates in PeopleSphere

For example, PeopleSphere stores certificates in Key Vault to secure connections between its HR portal and third-party payroll processors.

10. Keys

Now, let’s talk about Keys. Keys are like the keys to your house. They lock and unlock access, and ensure only the right people get in. In Azure, they act as cryptographic tools your app can use to encrypt, decrypt, sign, and verify data. With Key Vault, keys never appear in your code. They stay secured in the vault, and Azure can automatically rotate them if a rotation policy is in place.

11. Example: keys in PeopleSphere

For example, PeopleSphere, protects the encryption keys used to secure employee records by storing them in Key Vault.

12. Key Vault tiers and storage options

Azure Key Vault gives you two options for storing secrets and keys, depending on your security needs: Standard Key Vault and Managed HSM Pools.

13. Standard Key vault

The Standard tier is multi-tenant and ideal for most business scenarios, including web apps, APIs, and cloud configurations. It supports secrets, software-protected keys, and HSM-backed keys that are FIPS 140-2 Level 2 compliant. Pricing here is mostly per operation.

14. Managed HSM pools

Managed HSM Pools provide dedicated, single-tenant hardware for maximum security. They only support hardware-protected keys and meet the stricter FIPS 140-2 Level 3 standard. This makes them ideal for compliance-heavy workloads in areas like finance, healthcare, or government. Pricing includes a fixed hourly cost plus usage fees.

15. Let's practice!

Now that you know the essentials, let’s try it out with a quick hands-on exercise.

Create Your Free Account

By continuing, you accept our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy and that your data is stored in the USA.