AWS Secrets Manager vs. Parameter Store: Which is Better for Managing Secrets?
In this blog, you will learn that managing sensitive data like passwords, API keys, and tokens is paramount when working with cloud infrastructure. AWS offers two primary services for this: Secrets Manager and Parameter Store, both are designed to store and retrieve sensitive data.
For those preparing for the AWS Certified Developer Associate Certification, understanding these services is crucial. You’ll encounter scenarios in your exam that require knowledge of AWS’s data management capabilities. Having a deep understanding of Secrets Manager and Parameter Store, you can enhance your cloud development skills and increase your chances of success in the certification.
Let’s dive in and see the distinct purposes, different features, and the most suitable service for you.
AWS Secrets Manager vs. Parameter Store
AWS Secrets Manager and Systems Manager Parameter Store are two services offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that let you securely and centrally manage your confidential data. Although the two services have different features and use cases, they offer comparable functionalities.
One of the application management tools provided by the AWS Systems Manager (SSM) service is the AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store. Alternatively, you can rotate, manage, and retrieve database credentials, API keys, and other secrets throughout the cycle using the AWS Secrets Manager.
Key Differences in Feature
AWS Secrets Manager is designed specifically for managing secrets, such as database credentials, API keys, and OAuth tokens.
- Automatic rotation: Secrets Manager can rotate secrets regularly to improve security.
- Encryption: To ensure data confidentiality, secrets are automatically encrypted via AWS Key Management Service (KMS).
- Integration with AWS services: The easy integration of Secrets Manager with a range of AWS services makes it easier to use in intricate environments.
- Cross-account access: This allows you to centrally manage multiple AWS accounts by granting access to secrets, It also supports cross-region replication, which is important for multi-region high availability architectures.
AWS Secrets Manager provides robust encryption and supports automatic secret rotation, while Systems Manager Parameter Store does not. AWS Secrets Manager supports cross-account access through resource permissions, whereas Systems Manager Parameter Store does not. AWS Secrets Manager is the best option for managing highly sensitive secrets with stringent security requirements.
Parameter Store is designed to manage configuration data, including plaintext data and encrypted secrets. It’s suitable for storing configuration data like environment variables, database connection strings, and other application parameters.
- Hierarchical organization: Parameter Store allows you to organize parameters in a hierarchical structure, making management easier.
- Versioning allows you to track parameter changes over time and provide a history of modifications.
Access, Permissions, Security, and Encryption of Both Services
It’s crucial to adhere to robust security practices to protect your sensitive data: The AWS Key Management System (KMS) provides encryption support for both services with built-in cross-account access using resource permissions supported by AWS Secrets Manager. The ease of use and management for storing and retrieving secrets is also a crucial point to consider. Secrets Manager offers more advanced features for managing secrets, but it might be more complex to set up and manage compared to Parameter Store.
For secure management, follow the listed practices:
Limit access: Restricting access to secrets at the resource level through IAM policy creation is supported by both AWS Secrets Manager and Systems Manager Parameter Store.
Rotate secrets frequently: Set up Secrets Manager to rotate secrets automatically at predetermined intervals.
Employ strong passwords: Make sure the passwords you use to gain access to secrets are complicated and challenging to figure out.
Monitor access: Identify any unauthorized attempts to access secrets or parameters by routinely reviewing access logs.
Least privilege principle: Give users and apps just the minimal amount of permissions necessary to complete their tasks.
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Allow users who have access to parameters and secrets to activate MFA.
Patch and update systems frequently: Make sure your AWS environment is up to date with the newest security patches and updates.
Integration and Deployment of AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store
Both Secrets Manager and Parameter Store seamlessly integrate with numerous AWS services, making it easier to manage secrets and configuration data within your cloud infrastructure.
- AWS Secrets Manager:
- AWS Lambda: Secrets Manager provides rotation functionality that lets you assign a Lambda function to it to handle rotation logic (changing the secret value as well as updating any integrations that need it). It also provides more fine-grained access controls to secrets via IAM Resource Policies, whereas with Parameter Store you can only specify access control on the role itself. Lastly, there are some cases (CDK comes to mind) where you can’t use Parameter Store to retrieve values.
However, Secrets Manager is much more expensive than Parameter Store ($1/mo per secret), where Parameter Store gives you up to 100k parameters for free.
- Amazon ECS: Use your Secrets Manager credentials to store and retrieve container images for use in ECS tasks.
- Amazon RDS: Automatically rotate database credentials for RDS instances.
- Amazon DynamoDB: Store and manage DynamoDB table access keys
- Parameter Store:
- AWS Systems Manager: To store and retrieve configuration information for different Systems Manager features, including Automation, State Manager, and Patch Manager, use Parameter Store.
- Amazon CloudFormation: Use CloudFormation templates’ reference to Parameter Store parameters to dynamically configure resources.
- AWS CodePipeline: Use Parameter Store to store and retrieve CodePipeline pipeline configuration data.
Infrastructure as code (IaC), the AWS SDK, the console, and the CLI are how AWS facilitates the creation of AWS Secrets Manager and Systems Manager Parameter Store. Go to the AWS Secrets Manager service and select Store a new secret to generate secrets using the console for AWS Secrets Manager. Go to Systems Manager, select Parameter Store, and then click Create Parameter to establish Parameter Store using the console.
Cost and Pricing
AWS Secrets Manager charges $0.40 for each secret stored and $0.05 for every 10,000 API calls. The Systems Manager Parameter Store provides a free option (the Standard Tier) and charges $0.05 per 10,000 API calls for the Advanced Tier. The storage costs for AWS Secrets Manager are higher than those for the Systems Manager Parameter Store advanced tier.
Use Cases and Best practices for managing secrets
Use AWS Secrets Manager to manage sensitive secrets, such as database credentials, API keys, and OAuth tokens.
Parameter Store is useful for managing non-sensitive configuration data, such as environment variables, database connection strings, and other general application parameters, as well as for managing a wide range of configuration data and secrets with basic security requirements.
- Manage secrets using hierarchical naming conventions.
- Integrate SDKs into applications and create AWS IAM policies.
- Use the Systems Manager Parameter Store to manage non-sensitive configuration data.
- Make use of secure passwords and change them frequently, Control access to secrets with IAM policies.
- Restrict authorized users and applications’ access to secrets, Review and update your security procedures regularly.
- Encrypt confidential information with KMS.
Determining the Best Fit
Secrets Manager and Parameter Store are excellent tools for secret management, other factors must be considered when designing your cloud infrastructure. It depends on the use case and constraints you’re under. A credential of any form should be encrypted with a key you manage.
Secrets manager secrets are always encrypted, and there is the option of a scheduled rotation via a lambda function. Parameter store values can be encrypted but have no built-in rotation facility. Secrets Manager is $1/mo per secret, while Parameter Store (standard tier) is free.
If you’re managing an organization where teams are managing resources in their accounts, Secrets Manager makes it easier to ensure that credentials are encrypted. While Parameter Store is far cheaper, it’s also easier for teams to get it wrong.
It works great when the downstream service can automate credential rotation, like RDS. But if a vendor or an enterprise service doesn’t have a mechanism to issue new credentials, a rotation lambda is useless and you’re stuck updating the secret manually.
Also,
- If you’re managing multiple accounts or an organization where teams deploy their AWS resources, use Secrets Manager for all credentials. It’s simply less error-prone, especially for junior teams.
- If you are managing the accounts and know what you’re doing, you don’t get any advantage out of rotation, and you don’t need to share the parameter with another account, the parameter store is more cost-effective.
Sensitivity: Consider the sensitivity of your data and the need for automation. Secrets Manager is a better choice because of its automatic rotation and encryption features if you are dealing with secrets like API keys or database credentials. The Systems Manager Parameter Store is ideal for storing non-sensitive configuration data.
Configuration data: If you need to store configuration data with versioning and hierarchical organization, such as environment variables or database connection strings, Parameter Store is a good option.
Compliance requirements: Verify that the chosen method you have selected conforms to all applicable industry standards and regulations.
Integration with other tools: Consider how Secrets Manager or Parameter Store will work alongside other tools and services in your environment.
Scalability: Make sure your chosen method can scale to meet the demands of your growing application or infrastructure.
In many cases, you may need to use both services concurrently to successfully meet the requirements of your specific use case.
Example case: Parameter Store has a very low requests per second limit, This matters in a high traffic lambda environment where lambdas may get recycled frequently, and there are situations where you lose force with the parameter store RPS limit and lambdas start failing.
For a current similar task, using a secrets manager (few secrets, high read volume) and a caching layer (AWS Lambda PowerTools has a nice package for this)
Conclusion
You can efficiently manage secrets and configure data in your AWS environment while upholding a high level of security by adhering to these best practices and carefully taking into account the above-mentioned. The best choice for you depends on the sensitivity of your data and your specific requirements. Consider your specific needs and use cases when deciding the secret management. Talk to our Whizlabs experts if you have queries!
About the Author
Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.
