Azure Named Value Pair vs Azure Key Vault Limitation,Security and Scaling

A named value pair is a way of storing a key-value pair of data in a structured format, such as a database or configuration file.

A key vault, on the other hand, is a secure storage service specifically designed for storing and managing sensitive information, such as cryptographic keys and secrets. Key vaults often provide additional features and security measures, such as access control, auditing, and encryption.

Key vaults are designed to protect sensitive information and provide secure access to it. Access control allows only authorized individuals or systems to access the stored secrets, while auditing provides a log of all access attempts, including successful and failed attempts. Encryption ensures that the secrets are protected even if they are intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties. Key vaults may also provide additional functionality such as key rotation and revocation, and integration with other security systems.

Audit in Key Vault

To enable auditing in a key vault, you need to configure Azure Log Analytics or Azure Event Hub to receive the logs generated by the key vault. Once you have set up the log destination, you can enable auditing on the key vault by using Azure Portal, Azure CLI or Azure PowerShell and configure the level of detail you want to log.

For encryption, Key vaults use Azure Key Vault keys, Azure Key Vault HSM-protected keys, or software-protected keys to encrypt and decrypt the secrets stored in the vault. The encryption keys can be managed by Azure Key Vault or by using your own key management solution. When creating a new key vault, you can choose the type of key to use for encryption and configure other settings such as key rotation and revocation.

You can also configure access policies for the key vault, which determine which users and applications can access the secrets and keys stored in the vault. These policies can be set at the vault or individual key/secret level, and can be configured to allow for specific operations such as read, write, or manage.

Azure Key Vault Support With HSM

HSM stands for Hardware Security Module. A Hardware Security Module (HSM) is a physical device that provides secure storage and management of cryptographic keys and other sensitive information. The HSM is designed to protect against unauthorized access, and provides mechanisms to ensure that the keys cannot be extracted or tampered with.

HSM-protected keys are keys that are generated and protected by an HSM. These keys are used for encryption and decryption operations, and are typically used to protect sensitive data such as credit card numbers or personal identification numbers (PINs). Because the keys are stored in an HSM, they are protected from unauthorized access, even if the system is compromised.

HSMs are commonly used in applications such as e-commerce, banking, and government, where the protection of sensitive data is critical. They can be used to protect both symmetric and asymmetric keys, and can also be used to generate and manage digital certificates.

HSM-protected keys are considered more secure because they are protected in a tamper-proof hardware and also it can be integrated with other security systems to provide multiple layers of security. They are also useful in a cloud-based infrastructure, where the physical security of the keys can be ensured by the cloud service provider while the keys can be used by the client to encrypt and decrypt data.

Named value pairs have several disadvantages, including:

Limited scalability: Named value pairs may not be able to handle large amounts of data, making it difficult to scale the system.

Lack of structure: Named value pairs do not provide a strict schema or structure, which can make it difficult to maintain consistency and integrity of the data.

No built-in security: Named value pairs do not typically have built-in security features, such as encryption or access controls, which can make it vulnerable to unauthorized access or malicious attacks.

Limited query capabilities: Named value pairs may not provide advanced query capabilities, making it difficult to extract specific data or perform complex operations on the data.

No versioning support: Named value pairs may not have versioning support, which can make it difficult to track changes or rollback to a previous version of the data.

Limited ability to handle relational data: Named value pairs are often used to store a single value or key-value pair, which can make it difficult to handle relational data or perform complex data operations.

It is worth noting that some databases and data storage systems provide named value pair like functionality but with added structure, scalability and security, that's why key vault is a better option for sensitive data storage.

Named value pairs have several disadvantages, including:

Limited scalability: Named value pairs may not be able to handle large amounts of data, making it difficult to scale the system.

Lack of structure: Named value pairs do not provide a strict schema or structure, which can make it difficult to maintain consistency and integrity of the data.

No built-in security: Named value pairs do not typically have built-in security features, such as encryption or access controls, which can make it vulnerable to unauthorized access or malicious attacks.

Limited query capabilities: Named value pairs may not provide advanced query capabilities, making it difficult to extract specific data or perform complex operations on the data.

No versioning support: Named value pairs may not have versioning support, which can make it difficult to track changes or rollback to a previous version of the data.

Limited ability to handle relational data: Named value pairs are often used to store a single value or key-value pair, which can make it difficult to handle relational data or perform complex data operations.

In summary, Auditing and encryption are core features of Key vault, you can configure it by setting up log destination, enabling auditing on key vault, and configuring encryption settings. Additionally, you can set up access policies to control who can access the secrets and keys stored in the vault.