AWS API Keys & Secrets Prevention

Learn how to prevent exposure of API keys, secrets, and tokens in AWS environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for NIST 800-53 compliance.

insecure APIs

NIST 800-53

aws

Why It Matters

The core goal is to proactively prevent API keys, secrets, and tokens from being exposed in your AWS environment before they can be compromised. Establishing robust secret management practices in AWS is essential for organizations following NIST 800-53 guidelines, as it helps you maintain the confidentiality and integrity of authentication credentials—eliminating the risk of unauthorized access and lateral movement.

Primary Risk: Insecure APIs and unauthorized access through exposed credentials

Relevant Regulation: NIST 800-53 Security and Privacy Controls

A comprehensive prevention strategy establishes secure credential storage, automated rotation, and continuous monitoring to maintain security posture.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • AWS IAM admin or security administrator
  • SecretsManager:, IAM:, KMS:* privileges
  • Ability to configure CloudTrail and CloudWatch

External Tools

  • AWS CLI or Terraform
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • AWS SDK for your applications

Prior Setup

  • AWS account with appropriate regions
  • KMS keys configured
  • CloudTrail logging enabled
  • Application integration points identified

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. Using advanced AI and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, Cyera can automatically identify API keys, secrets, and tokens embedded in code repositories, configuration files, and data stores within your AWS environment, ensuring proactive prevention of credential exposure before security incidents occur.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure AWS Secrets Manager

Set up AWS Secrets Manager to centrally store and manage API keys, database passwords, and other sensitive credentials. Enable automatic rotation and encryption at rest.

aws secretsmanager create-secret --name "api-keys/production" --secret-string '{"api_key":"your-secure-key"}'

2
Implement IAM roles and policies

Create least-privilege IAM roles that grant applications access to only the secrets they need. Use condition-based policies to restrict access by time, location, or other factors.

3
Enable continuous monitoring with Cyera

Configure Cyera to scan your AWS environment for hardcoded secrets in EC2 instances, Lambda functions, CodeCommit repositories, and S3 buckets. Set up real-time alerts for credential exposure.

4
Establish rotation and lifecycle policies

Implement automated secret rotation schedules, define expiration policies, and set up monitoring for unused or stale credentials. Configure CloudWatch alarms for unusual access patterns.

Architecture & Workflow

AWS Secrets Manager

Central repository for all credentials and secrets

IAM Roles & Policies

Fine-grained access control and permissions

Cyera AI Scanner

Continuous monitoring and credential detection

CloudTrail & Monitoring

Audit trails and real-time alerting

Prevention Flow Summary

Store Secrets → Apply Access Controls → Monitor Usage → Rotate & Audit

Best Practices & Tips

Secret Storage Strategy

  • Never store secrets in code or configuration files
  • Use environment-specific secret naming conventions
  • Enable cross-region replication for critical secrets

Access Control

  • Implement least-privilege access patterns
  • Use temporary credentials where possible
  • Regularly audit and review access permissions

Common Pitfalls

  • Hardcoding secrets in Lambda environment variables
  • Storing credentials in S3 bucket names or tags
  • Failing to rotate secrets after team member departures

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔍 Detect: Scan existing environment for exposed credentials 🔧 Fix: Remediate discovered credential exposures