HashiCorp Vault
Secrets management, encryption and dynamic credentials. HashiCorp Vault is a tool for storing and controlling access to secrets such as API keys, passwords and certificates. It can generate short-lived dynamic credentials for databases and clouds, act as a certificate authority, and encrypt data for applications. Access is governed by policies and authentication methods such as Kubernetes, OIDC and cloud IAM.
When it is the right choice
- You need one place to manage secrets across clouds, Kubernetes and CI
- You want short-lived database or cloud credentials instead of long-lived passwords
- You need an internal certificate authority or encryption as a service
- A cloud provider's own secrets manager is simpler if you use only one cloud; also check Vault's current licence
How we use it
- Deploy Vault in a highly available setup with auto-unseal and backups
- Connect Kubernetes workloads and CI pipelines through native authentication, not static tokens
- Manage Vault policies and configuration with Terraform
- Monitor Vault health and audit logs and alert on unusual access
Kubernetes
Terraform
GitHub Actions
PostgreSQLRelated articles
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Hosted LLM APIs or Self-Hosted Open Models?GPT, Claude and Gemini APIs against self-hosted open models, compared on cost, privacy, latency and the engineering effort each one needs.
RAG in Production: The Boring Parts That MatterIngestion, chunking, refresh, evaluation and access control: the unglamorous work that decides whether a RAG system can be trusted.HashiCorp Vault: frequently asked
Vault or AWS Secrets Manager?
If you run only on AWS, Secrets Manager is simpler to operate. Vault is worth it for multi-cloud setups, dynamic credentials or features the cloud service lacks.
Is Vault open source?
HashiCorp moved Vault to the Business Source Licence in 2023, and OpenBao is a community fork. Check the licence against how you plan to use it.
Running HashiCorp Vault, or deciding whether to? Tell us what you have; the first consultation is free.
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