HashiCorp Vault is a powerful tool for managing secrets, protecting sensitive data, and ensuring security for modern applications. Here are some common use cases for Vault:
1. Secrets Management
Vault provides a secure way to store and manage sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, certificates, and tokens. It ensures that secrets are accessed only by authorized users and applications.
- Example: Storing API keys for external services like AWS or GitHub securely, so they are not hardcoded in application code.
2. Dynamic Secrets
Vault can generate dynamic secrets (e.g., database credentials, cloud credentials) that are temporary and expire after a certain time, reducing the risks of long-lived credentials being exposed.
- Example: Vault can generate temporary database credentials that are valid for a specific time period, and once the time expires, the credentials are automatically revoked.
3. Encryption as a Service
Vault can be used as an encryption service where sensitive data (such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII)) can be encrypted or decrypted on demand. It supports both symmetric and asymmetric encryption techniques.
- Example: Encrypting data before storing it in a database to comply with regulations like GDPR.
4. Identity-Based Access Control
Vault integrates with identity management systems (e.g., LDAP, Active Directory, or cloud identity services) to authenticate and authorize access to secrets based on identity. This allows access control to be managed centrally.
- Example: Allowing only specific users or groups to access certain secrets, like application configuration data or SSH keys.
5. Multi-cloud and Hybrid Cloud Security
Vault provides the ability to secure and manage secrets across multiple cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). This helps maintain security when applications span multiple clouds or hybrid environments.
- Example: Storing and managing secrets for a multi-cloud application to ensure consistent access control and audit logging across all environments.
6. PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) Management
Vault can be used to manage certificates and encryption keys. It can generate SSL/TLS certificates dynamically and provide a secure way to manage a certificate lifecycle.
- Example: Automatically issuing SSL certificates for internal services to ensure secure communications without manual intervention.
7. Audit Logging
Vault maintains comprehensive audit logs of every access to secrets. This is valuable for compliance and security purposes, allowing administrators to monitor who accessed what, when, and why.
- Example: Using Vault’s audit logging to track access to sensitive database credentials and ensure only authorized users are accessing them.
8. Application-level Secrets Injection
Vault can be integrated into applications to inject secrets dynamically into the application runtime environment. This prevents storing secrets in environment variables or configuration files.
- Example: Injecting database connection strings and API tokens into applications at runtime without hardcoding them.
9. Secure Storage for SSH Keys
Vault can store and rotate SSH keys for secure access to servers. It allows dynamic generation of SSH keys and revocation, ensuring that key management is automated and secure.
- Example: Automatically generating temporary SSH keys for remote access to servers, with the keys expiring after a set period.
10. Secret Versioning and History
Vault supports secret versioning, enabling users to maintain and roll back to previous versions of secrets when necessary. This can help in troubleshooting, auditing, and improving security practices.
- Example: Rolling back to a previous version of an API key after an accidental exposure or breach.
These use cases show how Vault can be a crucial tool for securing infrastructure and data in modern, cloud-native environments.
