Azure API Keys & Secrets Exposure Prevention

Learn how to prevent exposure of API keys, secrets, and tokens in Azure environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for PCI-DSS compliance.

insecure APIs

PCI-DSS

azure

Why It Matters

The core goal is to implement robust security controls that prevent API keys, secrets, and tokens from being inadvertently exposed in your Azure environment. Preventing exposure of these sensitive credentials is critical for organizations subject to PCI-DSS, as it helps you maintain secure payment processing systems and protect against unauthorized access to financial data.

Primary Risk: Insecure APIs leading to unauthorized access

Relevant Regulation: PCI-DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

A comprehensive prevention strategy establishes secure credential management practices, automated policy enforcement, and continuous monitoring to maintain API security posture.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Azure Key Vault Contributor or higher
  • Security Admin role for Azure AD
  • Ability to configure Managed Identities

External Tools

  • Azure CLI or PowerShell
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Azure DevOps or GitHub integration

Prior Setup

  • Azure subscription with Key Vault enabled
  • Azure AD tenant configured
  • Resource groups established
  • Network security groups configured

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 automatically identifies API keys, secrets, and tokens embedded in code repositories, configuration files, and data stores within your Azure environment, ensuring you can proactively prevent credential exposure before it leads to security breaches.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure Azure Key Vault

Create a dedicated Key Vault for each environment and application. Enable soft delete and purge protection, then configure access policies using principle of least privilege.

az keyvault create --name "myapp-prod-kv" --resource-group "myapp-rg" --enable-soft-delete --enable-purge-protection

2
Implement Managed Identities

Replace hardcoded API keys with Azure Managed Identities wherever possible. Configure system-assigned or user-assigned identities for your applications and services.

3
Enable Cyera continuous monitoring

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → DSPM → Add new. Select Azure, provide your tenant and subscription details, then configure scanning policies to detect exposed credentials across repositories, storage accounts, and application configurations.

4
Establish secure DevOps practices

Implement pre-commit hooks and CI/CD pipeline scanning to prevent secrets from entering your codebase. Configure Azure DevOps or GitHub Advanced Security to scan for exposed credentials automatically.

Architecture & Workflow

Azure Key Vault

Centralized secret storage and management

Managed Identities

Eliminates need for hardcoded credentials

Cyera AI Scanner

Continuous monitoring and detection

DevOps Integration

Automated pipeline security checks

Prevention Flow Summary

Store in Key Vault → Access via Managed Identity → Monitor with Cyera → Alert & Remediate

Best Practices & Tips

Key Vault Management

  • Use separate Key Vaults per environment
  • Enable Key Vault logging and monitoring
  • Implement regular secret rotation policies

Access Control

  • Use role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Implement just-in-time access where possible
  • Regularly audit and review permissions

Common Pitfalls

  • Hardcoding secrets in application configuration
  • Using shared Key Vaults across environments
  • Neglecting to rotate long-lived credentials

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

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