Azure Key Vault

Azure Key Vault is a cloud service that securely stores and manages cryptographic keys, secrets (passwords, API keys, connection strings), and certificates. It provides hardware security module (HSM) backing for sensitive keys, role-based access control, auditing, and integration with Azure services via Managed Identity. Keys, secrets, and certificates are never exposed in plain text in application code. - Security best practice: Eliminates hardcoded secrets in code or config files