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Secure Your Secrets in .NET with Azure Key Vault

Deep Dive into Azure Key Vault

Azure Key Vault is more than just a secret store; it's a fully managed service that centralizes secret management, key protection, and certificate lifecycle management. It’s designed for high-security workloads, enabling you to enforce zero-trust principles.

Components of Azure Key Vault

Component Description
Secrets Key-value pairs like connection strings, API keys, credentials
Keys Cryptographic keys for encryption/decryption and digital signing
Certificates Manage SSL/TLS certificates, integrate with CA
Managed HSM Dedicated hardware security module with full control

Secrets Management: Practical Use

{
  "Name": "DbConnectionString",
  "Value": "Server=tcp:sqlserver.database.windows.net;Initial Catalog=MyDB;User Id=admin;Password=xyz;"
}

Access with .NET

var client = new SecretClient(
    new Uri("https://yourvault.vault.azure.net/"), 
    new DefaultAzureCredential()
);

KeyVaultSecret secret = await client.GetSecretAsync("DbConnectionString");

Key Management: Encryption and Signing

Azure Key Vault can store.

  • RSA / EC keys.
  • Symmetric keys (HSM-backed).
  • Use for: Encrypt/Decrypt, Sign/Verify, Wrap/Unwrap.

Encrypt using CryptographyClient.

var keyClient = new KeyClient(new Uri(vaultUri), new DefaultAzureCredential());
var cryptoClient = new CryptographyClient(
    keyClient.GetKey("my-key").Value.Id, 
    new DefaultAzureCredential()
);
EncryptResult encrypted = await cryptoClient.EncryptAsync(
    EncryptionAlgorithm.RsaOaep, 
    Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("myData")
);

Certificate Management

  • Supports import or generation of certificates.
  • Auto-renew public certificates via CAs (like DigiCert).
  • Direct integration with Azure App Service.

Authentication: Secure & Credential-Free

Identity Type Use Case
Managed Identity For Azure-hosted apps (App Service, Functions, etc.)
Service Principal For non-Azure apps or CI/CD pipelines
User Identity For local development/debugging

Use DefaultAzureCredential to simplify credential management.

RBAC vs Access Policies

Feature Access Policies RBAC
Granular Control ❌ ✅
Scoped Access ❌ Entire vault ✅ Per-secret/key/cert
Modern Standard Deprecated ✅ Recommended

Common roles: Key Vault Reader, Key Vault Secrets User, Key Vault Administrator.

Secret Versioning and Expiry

  • Versioned Access: Retrieve previous versions.
  • Expiry: Set TTL for secrets.
  • Soft Delete & Purge Protection: Prevent data loss.

Monitoring and Compliance

  • Enable diagnostic logs.
  • Integrate with Azure Monitor / Log Analytics.
  • Use Defender for Cloud for threat detection.

Use Cases

Scenario Vault Usage
Store SQL credentials Secrets
Encrypt sensitive data at rest Keys
Secure JWT signing Keys (Sign)
Manage SSL for web apps Certificates

Best Practices

  • Use Managed Identity (never store secrets in code).
  • Enable RBAC over Access Policies.
  • Turn on Soft Delete & Purge Protection.
  • Enforce audit logging and monitoring.
  • Rotate secrets/keys regularly.

Summary

Azure Key Vault helps you.

  • Securely manage secrets, keys, and certificates.
  • Eliminate hardcoded credentials.
  • Enforce role-based access and auditing.
  • Integrate security deeply into your .NET apps.

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