What is Azure Key Vault?
Azure Key Vault is a cloud service for securely storing and managing secrets, encryption keys, and certificates. It provides hardware security module (HSM)-backed storage and integrates natively with Azure services for zero-trust security.
Core Capabilities
- Secrets Management: Store and control access to API keys, connection strings, passwords, and tokens with fine-grained RBAC.
- Key Management: Create and manage encryption keys backed by FIPS 140-2 Level 2 or Level 3 HSMs.
- Certificate Management: Automated lifecycle management — provision, renew, and revoke TLS/SSL certificates from CAs like DigiCert and Let’s Encrypt.
- Access Policies: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with Azure AD integration for granular permissions.
Security Architecture
Key Vault uses HSM-backed cryptographic operations — keys never leave the HSM boundary. All access is authenticated via Azure AD and logged in Azure Monitor. Network isolation via Private Endpoints and firewall rules ensures zero-trust network access.
Integration Scenarios
- App Service / Functions: Reference secrets directly as app settings — no code changes needed.
- Azure DevOps: Pull secrets into CI/CD pipelines securely without exposing them in YAML.
- Disk Encryption: Customer-managed keys for Azure Disk Encryption and Storage Service Encryption.
- Kubernetes: CSI driver for mounting secrets as volumes in AKS pods.
Best Practices
- Enable soft-delete and purge protection for disaster recovery.
- Use managed identities instead of connection strings for Key Vault access.
- Implement automatic rotation policies for secrets and certificates.
- Monitor access with Azure Monitor alerts and diagnostic logs.
Why CloudSpark?
CloudSpark designs and implements Key Vault architectures — from initial setup and secret migration to automated rotation policies, HSM selection, and compliance auditing for KVKK and ISO 27001.
