AWS KMS vs. AWS Secrets Manager vs. AWS Parameter Store: Securing Secrets

AWS KMS

• Security Administrators and Compliance Teams: Managers of generating, managing, and supervising cryptographic keys.

• Application Developers: Incorporating encryption into applications to provide data security.

• Operations and Infrastructure Teams: Handling secure data encryption across various AWS services.

Example:

A bank uses AWS KMS to centrally control cryptographic keys used by several teams for data encryption across applications, databases, and data analytics workloads.

AWS Secrets Manager

• DevOps and Application Developers: Storing and rotating secrets like database credentials and API keys securely and automatically.

• Cloud Infrastructure Teams: Keep centralized and audited access to sensitive data needed by applications and resources.

Example:

A SaaS company uses Secrets Manager for automating rotation and secure dissemination of database credentials among various microservices, minimizing manual intervention and enhancing security compliance.

AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store

• System and Configuration Management Teams: Store and handle non-sensitive and sensitive criteria in an organized manner.

• Development Teams: Centralize management of configuration values and secrets for applications.

Example: An e-commerce platform uses Parameter Store to centrally store application configuration data such as feature flags, endpoint URLs, and environment variables.

What are AWS KMS, Secrets Manager, and Parameter Store?

AWS Key Management Service (KMS)

AWS KMS is a fully managed service for creating and controlling cryptographic keys used across AWS services and applications.

Key Features:

• Focused key management.

• Merging with AWS services (S3, EBS, RDS, etc.).

• Auditing and monitoring by AWS CloudTrail.

• Customer-managed keys (CMKs) and AWS-managed keys.

Example: A healthcare provider uses AWS KMS to protect patient records in Amazon S3 to meet HIPAA compliance.

AWS Secrets Manager

AWS Secrets Manager safely stores secrets and automatically rotates database certifications, API keys, and other sensitive data.

Key Elements:

• Automatic secret update.

• Detailed IAM availability controls.

• Effortless merging with AWS resources and third-party applications.

• Combined auditing and analysing.

Example: A banking app uses Secrets Manager to update database passwords weekly automatically, minimizing security problems because of certification visibility.

AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store

Parameter Store offers ranked storage for setup values and secrets management.

Key Features:

• Layered and versioned standard management.

• Protect storage with AWS KMS combination.

• Standards supported as plaintext, encrypted, or SecureString.

• Cost-effective storage for structured values.

Example: A business stores structure data and environment-specific standards with Parameter Store, safely working with AWS Lambda and ECS.

AWS KMS

When to Use:

• When encryption and key management are important.
• Best for compliance-based systems requiring auditable key management.
• When integrating security into AWS services and applications directly.

Example: An insurance company protects sensitive user data in Amazon RDS using KMS-managed keys.

AWS Secrets Manager

When to Use:

• Best for safely storing and rotating sensitive documents.
• Applications that require regular automated rotation of secrets.
• High-security compliance environments.

Example: A fintech startup uses Secrets Manager to securely rotate and share API keys across multiple containerized applications.

AWS Parameter Store

When to Use:

• Ideal for centralized app configuration and holding non-sensitive or moderately sensitive data.
• When needing an affordable solution for parameter management.
• For applications that require hierarchical and structured configuration management.

Example: An API endpoint and application parameter are stored centrally by a software development company using Parameter Store for easy access across CI/CD pipelines.

Example 1: An international retail organization uses CloudWatch for system observing, X-Ray for API tracing, and OpenTelemetry to gather telemetry from edge devices for predictive analytics.

Example 2: A SaaS CRM platform utilizes CloudWatch Logs Insights for error debugging, X-Ray to identify slow database queries, and OpenTelemetry to gather metrics for its Kubernetes cluster hosted on EKS.

AWS KMS

• Strong centralized encryption key management.
• Regulatory compliance (PCI DSS, HIPAA).
• Native integration throughout AWS.

AWS Secrets Manager

• Auto-rotation eliminates manual effort and enhances security.
• Tight integration makes secret management across AWS services easy.
• Auditing and tracking to improve security governance.

AWS Parameter Store

• Affordable parameter management solution.
• Layered structure for easy management and automation.

AWS KMS Application

• Build and manage customer-managed keys (CMKs).

• Allocate key policies and IAM roles to control entry.

• Integrate with AWS services (S3, EBS, RDS).

• Track key use and access using CloudTrail.

AWS Secrets Manager Implementation

• Store secrets in AWS Console or API.

• Automatically rotate by setting rotation schedules.

• Safely store secrets recovery in applications.

• Keep record of secret access and change via AWS CloudTrail.

AWS Parameter Store Implementation

• Store parameters with hierarchical paths.

• Store parameters as SecureString, encrypted through KMS.

• Retrieve parameters via AWS CLI, SDKs, or AWS Lambda.

• Oversee access and changes to parameters via CloudTrail.

Use Case 1: Secure Credential Management in Banking

• Challenge: Credential rotation regularly and secure storage.
• Solution: Use Secrets Manager for automated credential rotation and storage, federated with AWS Lambda for application access.
• Result: Better security, less manual rotation, and regulatory compliance.

Use Case 2: Centralized Parameter Management for Multi-Environment Deployment

• Problem: Application parameters and environment-specific configurations needed centralized management.
• Solution: Utilize Parameter Store to hierarchically store parameters, accessed by ECS and CI/CD pipeline.
• Result: Easier parameter management, increased deployment consistency, and fewer configuration errors.

1. What's the key difference between KMS and Secrets Manager?

• KMS manages keys and encryption, whereas Secrets Manager stores, rotates, and secures application secrets.

2. Can Parameter Store automatically change secrets?

• No, automatic rotation is booked for Secrets Manager.

3. Is KMS required if I'm using Secrets Manager?

• Yes, Secrets Manager employs KMS to encrypt secrets at rest.

4. Can Parameter Store secure sensitive data?

• Yes, Parameter Store has SecureString encrypted by KMS.

5. What's the cost variation between Parameter Store and Secrets Manager?

• Parameter Store is low-cost or at no cost; Secrets Manager is charged per API request and secret.

6. Does Secrets Manager work with non-AWS applications?

• Yes, it works safely with third-party applications through APIs.

7. Is KMS compliant with rules?

• Yes, KMS is PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, and others compliant.

8. Do you support using Parameter Store with AWS Lambda?

• Yes, Lambda works naturally with Parameter Store for structure parameters.

9. Do Secrets Manager and Parameter Store support change management?

• Yes, both support change management for improved auditing and management.

Secure management of secrets is important. AWS KMS, Secrets Manager, and Parameter Store provide strong, secure, and combined solutions. Choose smartly depending on your compliance, operational requirements, and budget.

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