Secure Credential Management

Secure Credential Management

Date of Discussion: October 3, 2024

Overview

Secure handling of sensitive data like API keys, access tokens, and refresh tokens is essential to protect user data and comply with security standards.

Best Practices

• Encryption: Encrypt sensitive data at rest using strong encryption algorithms.
• Use Secure Storage: Utilize services like Azure Key Vault or AWS Secrets Manager.
• Avoid Hardcoding: Do not hardcode secrets in source code or configuration files.
• Access Control: Restrict who can access the secrets within your team.

Implementation Strategies

Data Protection API (DPAPI)

Use DPAPI for encrypting data in .NET applications.

public class SecureTokenService
{
    private readonly IDataProtector _protector;

    public SecureTokenService(IDataProtectionProvider dataProtectionProvider)
    {
        _protector = dataProtectionProvider.CreateProtector("SecureTokenProtector");
    }

    public string Protect(string plaintext)
    {
        return _protector.Protect(plaintext);
    }

    public string Unprotect(string protectedText)
    {
        return _protector.Unprotect(protectedText);
    }
}

Configuration Management

• Store connection strings and API credentials in environment variables.
• Use appsettings.json with user secrets for local development.

Key Rotation

• Implement procedures for rotating keys and tokens regularly.
• Automate the rotation process if possible.

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS if applicable.
• Regularly conduct security audits and vulnerability assessments.

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