Cryptographic key

As explained in Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform

A secret is sensitive information, such as a password, token, or cryptographic key, whose disclosure could enable unauthorized access.

A secret is sensitive information such as a password, token, cryptographic key, private key, or certificate whose disclosure could enable unauthorized access. Infrastructure as code should receive secrets as variables and use them in memory, rather than hardcoding or committing them in plaintext. section 2.3.6 section 2.4

Protect secrets through these operational practices:

• Store and manage credentials and certificates in a secrets manager separate from infrastructure configuration. section 2.3.6
• Pass secrets into infrastructure code as variables, and update the secrets manager when certificates or credentials change. section 2.3.6
• Limit provider credentials and prevent passwords from appearing in delivery-pipeline logs to reduce the attack surface. section 8.1

Figure 2.10 Retrieve sensitive information from a secrets manager to change resources with an infrastructure provider.

Separates certificate management from infrastructure configuration while allowing infrastructure code to retrieve current sensitive values. section 2.3.6

How Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform covers it

How deep it goes

Explains definition, storage, variable passing, rotation, failure impact, and pipeline exposure, but does not detail a specific secrets-manager implementation.

Examples

Uses GCP service credentials, SSL certificates, SSH keys, API tokens, passwords, and a leaked root database password in pipeline logs.

What it assumes

Assumes familiarity with infrastructure as code, provider credentials, resources, and delivery pipelines while defining secret handling from first principles.

What you can do after

Operate/configure infrastructure automation by externalizing secrets, rotating certificates, and reducing credential exposure in delivery pipelines.

How it connects

Connects secrets with infrastructure as code, secrets managers, certificate management, delivery pipelines, and attack surface.

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Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Software Security for DevelopersA secret key is confidential cryptographic material shared by authorized parties to compute or verify keyed security values.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Kubernetes in Action, Second EditionA Secret is a Kubernetes API resource for storing sensitive data such as credentials, tokens, or keys.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Hacking CryptographyA value that controls cryptographic operations and is shared with or retained by authorized participants according to the security scheme.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Real-World CryptographyA cryptographic key is secret or public information supplied to a cryptographic algorithm to control its operation.

Compare how 5 books explain cryptographic key →

Related concepts

• AESused by · AES is a standardized symmetric block cipher that encrypts and decrypts data in 128-bit blocks using 128-, 192-, or 256-bit keys.
• symmetric key encryptionused by · Symmetric-key encryption is cryptography that uses the same shared secret key, or equivalent derived key material, to encrypt and decrypt data.
• elliptic-curve diffie-hellmanproduced by · Elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman is a public-key key-agreement method in which parties derive a shared secret through elliptic-curve point operations.
• encryptionused by · Encryption is the cryptographic transformation of readable data into ciphertext to conceal its contents, reversible through decryption with appropriate information.
• HMACused by · HMAC is a keyed message authentication code constructed from a cryptographic hash function and a secret key to authenticate data and verify its integrity.
• Diffie–Hellman key exchangeproduced by · Diffie–Hellman key exchange is a public-key key-agreement protocol that enables parties to derive a shared secret over an insecure channel without transmitting it.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.