9.2. Azure Key Vault

In a digital ecosystem where data breaches and cyberattacks are commonplace, the safeguarding of cryptographic keys and secrets has never been more critical. Azure Key Vault emerges as a beacon of security, providing a centralized, secure repository that helps organizations to protect and control cryptographic keys and other secrets used by cloud applications and services. In the comprehensive scope of Azure services, Key Vault represents an essential security tool designed to manage sensitive information reliably and straightforwardly. This article unfolds the intricate layers of Azure Key Vault, elucidating its core features, operational mechanisms, security provisions, and best practices.

Understanding Azure Key Vault

Azure Key Vault is a cloud service that provides secure storage for keys, secrets, and certificates, enabling users to encrypt keys and small secrets like passwords that use keys stored in hardware security modules (HSMs). With Key Vault, Microsoft takes a significant step forward in reducing the complexity of key management, while increasing the protection against loss and unauthorized access to critical secrets.

Key Features of Azure Key Vault

1. Secrets Management

Key Vault can securely store and tightly control access to tokens, passwords, certificates, API keys, and other secrets. It offers secure secret storage and retrieval, reducing the risk of sensitive data exposure, particularly in a development and deployment scenario.

2. Key Management

Azure Key Vault enables users to create and control encryption keys that encrypt your data. It supports multiple key types and algorithms and provides the capability to import or generate keys in HSMs.

3. Certificate Management

With Key Vault, you can provision, manage, and deploy public and private SSL/TLS certificates for Azure and your internal connected resources more securely and efficiently.

4. Hardware Security Modules

Key Vault uses HSMs to protect the keys. It ensures that cryptographic operations are performed within HSMs that are FIPS 140-2 Level 2 validated, catering to stringent compliance requirements.

Operational Mechanisms

1. Key Vault Creation and Configuration

Setting up a Key Vault in Azure is a streamlined process. Users define a unique name, select a pricing tier, and configure the Vault with the necessary parameters, including access policies and networking settings.

2. Access Policies and Secure Access

Key Vault allows the configuration of access policies that grant permissions to users, groups, and applications to operate with keys, secrets, or certificates. It also supports Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) authentication, providing secure access control.

3. Encryption and Decryption Operations

Within Key Vault, users can perform encryption operations using keys stored in the Vault. These operations take place within the boundary of the service, and the keys can be protected with either software or hardware security.

4. Audit Logs for Tracking

Key Vault provides full audit trails for all operations. The logs can be integrated with Azure Monitor and Azure Log Analytics for a detailed investigation and analysis.

Integration and Compatibility

Key Vault is designed to integrate with various Azure services. This enables services such as Azure Disk Encryption, SQL Server Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), and Azure Information Protection to leverage Key Vault for storing and managing cryptographic keys.