Azure API Keys & Secrets Exposure Remediation

Learn how to fix exposed API keys, secrets, and tokens in Azure environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for NIST 800-53 compliance.

insecure APIs

NIST 800-53

azure

Why It Matters

The core goal is to quickly remediate exposed API keys, secrets, and tokens across your Azure environment before they can be exploited by malicious actors. Fixing exposed secrets in Azure is critical for organizations subject to NIST 800-53, as it helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive systems and maintains the integrity of your security controls—eliminating the risk of credential-based attacks.

Primary Risk: Insecure APIs and credential-based attacks

Relevant Regulation: NIST 800-53 Security and Privacy Controls

Swift remediation provides immediate risk reduction, establishing secure credential management practices and ongoing compliance posture.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Azure Security Admin or Key Vault Contributor
  • Resource Group Contributor permissions
  • Azure CLI or PowerShell access

External Tools

  • Azure CLI
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Azure Key Vault access

Prior Setup

  • Azure subscription active
  • Key Vault instances provisioned
  • RBAC roles configured
  • Network access policies set

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By leveraging advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) models, Cyera automatically identifies exposed API keys, secrets, and tokens in Azure resources, configuration files, and code repositories—ensuring you can rapidly remediate credential exposures and maintain NIST 800-53 compliance in real time.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify and catalog exposed secrets

Use Cyera's AI-powered scanning to identify all exposed API keys, secrets, and tokens across Azure resources, configuration files, and repositories. Review the prioritized findings and create an inventory of affected resources.

az keyvault secret list --vault-name YourKeyVault

2
Rotate compromised credentials immediately

For each exposed secret, generate new credentials and update them in Azure Key Vault. Disable or delete the compromised secrets and update all dependent applications and services to use the new credentials.

3
Implement secure storage patterns

Migrate hardcoded secrets to Azure Key Vault, configure Managed Identity for service authentication, and implement least-privilege access policies. Set up automated rotation schedules for critical secrets.

4
Deploy continuous monitoring

Configure Cyera's continuous monitoring to detect future secret exposures in real-time. Set up alerts for new exposures and integrate with your incident response workflows to ensure rapid remediation.

Architecture & Workflow

Azure Resources

Source of configuration files and deployed applications

Cyera AI Scanner

Uses NLP to identify exposed secrets and credentials

Azure Key Vault

Secure storage and management of secrets

Monitoring & Alerting

Continuous detection and incident response

Remediation Flow Summary

Scan Resources → Identify Exposures → Rotate Secrets → Update Applications

Best Practices & Tips

Remediation Priority

  • Address production secrets first
  • Focus on high-privilege credentials
  • Prioritize publicly accessible resources

Secure Migration

  • Use Azure Managed Identity where possible
  • Implement secret rotation policies
  • Set appropriate Key Vault access policies

Common Pitfalls

  • Forgetting to update all dependent services
  • Not testing applications after secret rotation
  • Leaving old secrets active during migration

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🛡️ Prevent: Implement secret prevention strategies 🔍 Detect: Set up continuous secret monitoring