Secret Rotation

Introduction

Secret rotation is a security best practice that involves systematically updating credentials and access tokens at regular intervals to minimize the risk of compromise. By proactively replacing existing secrets with new ones, organizations reduce the potential impact of credential theft or leakage.

Examples of rotated secrets include:

API keys and authentication tokens for cloud services and third-party integrations

Database credentials across production, staging, and development environments

How Rotation Works

Hanzo KMS supports two rotation models: Dual-Phase (used by most providers) and Single-Phase. Select a tab below to learn how each model works.

Dual-phase rotation is the recommended approach that ensures zero downtime for your applications. This model systematically replaces secrets at regular intervals using an overlapping lifecycle that maintains continuous availability while enhancing your security posture.

Visual Timeline

gantt
    title Credential Lifecycle (Interval = 30 days)
    dateFormat  YYYY-MM-DD
    axisFormat %b %d

    section Credentials 1
    Active      :active, a1, 2023-01-01, 30d
    Inactive    :done, i1, after a1, 30d
    Revoked     :crit, r1, after i1, 30d

    section Credentials 2
    Active      :active, a2, 2023-01-31, 30d
    Inactive    :done, i2, after a2, 30d
    Revoked     :crit, r2, after i2, 30d

    section Credentials 3
    Active      :active, a3, 2023-03-02, 30d
    Inactive    :done, i3, after a3, 30d
    Revoked     :crit, r3, after i3, 30d

Credential States

Each set of credentials transitions through three distinct states:

Active: The primary credentials
Inactive: These credentials are still valid, but will be revoked in the next rotation
Revoked: Permanently invalidated and deleted from the system

Rotation Cycle Example (30-Day Interval)

Using a 30-Day rotation interval as an example, here's how the process unfolds:

Day 0
- Credential set 1 is issued and set to Active
- Applications begin using this set for authentication
Day 30
- Credential set 2 is issued and set to Active
- Credential set 1 transitions to Inactive but remains valid
- New applications will utilize set 1, while existing applications with set 1 continue to work
This overlapping validity period ensures that at any point during the active period of a credential set, you are guaranteed that retrieved credentials will be valid for the specified rotation period.
Day 60
- Credential set 3 is issued and set to Active
- Credential set 2 transitions to Inactive but remains valid
- Credential set 1 is Revoked and securely deleted
- By now, all applications should have transitioned to using set 2 or 3
Day 90
- Credential set 4 is issued and set to Active
- Credential set 3 transitions to Inactive but remains valid
- Credential set 2 is Revoked and securely deleted
- The cycle continues...

Benefits

Zero Downtime: Applications always have valid credentials
Grace Period: The inactive period gives applications time to update to new credentials
Reduced Risk: Credentials are regularly cycled, limiting the impact of potential compromise
Predictable Schedule: Makes credential management more systematic and easier to automate

Implementation Considerations

Choose a rotation interval appropriate for your security requirements and operational needs
Ensure your applications can handle credential updates gracefully
Monitor for applications still using credentials nearing revocation

Some providers have technical limitations that prevent dual-phase rotation. These providers use single-phase rotation, which updates a single credential in place. When rotation occurs, old credentials become invalid immediately—there is no overlap period.

This means that clients using the previous credentials will fail to authenticate until they retrieve the new credentials.

Single-phase rotation may cause brief service interruptions. For these providers, we recommend disabling auto-rotation and performing manual rotations during scheduled maintenance windows.

Why Single-Phase?

Some credential providers have limitations that require single-phase rotation:

The third-party provider's API only supports managing one active credential set at a time
The specific use-case (such as personal login accounts) is inherently limited to a single active credential

Recommendations

When using single-phase rotation with service continuity requirements:

Disable auto-rotation and perform manual rotations during scheduled maintenance windows
Coordinate with dependent services to ensure they can quickly retrieve new credentials
Monitor authentication failures after rotation to detect any services that failed to update

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