SecurityIntermediate
Secret Management
PronunciationSEE-krit MAN-ij-ment
Definition
Secret management is the secure storage, access control, and rotation of sensitive credentials like database passwords, API keys, and private keys. It prevents credentials from being exposed in source code or insecure configuration files.
Where you hear it
During security reviews, when setting up cloud infrastructure, or when planning how applications connect to databases.
Examples
We use a dedicated vault service for secret management instead of hardcoding API keys.
Proper secret management requires rotating database credentials every ninety days.
Common mistake
Treating secret management the same as regular environment variables, which can accidentally expose sensitive credentials in plain text logs or repository history.