AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is a powerful service for managing configuration data and secrets within your AWS infrastructure. While not exclusively a secrets management tool, it provides robust capabilities for storing sensitive information securely.
Parameter Store offers two types of par…AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is a powerful service for managing configuration data and secrets within your AWS infrastructure. While not exclusively a secrets management tool, it provides robust capabilities for storing sensitive information securely.
Parameter Store offers two types of parameters: Standard and SecureString. SecureString parameters are encrypted using AWS Key Management Service (KMS) keys, making them suitable for storing secrets like database credentials, API keys, and passwords. You can use either AWS-managed keys or customer-managed KMS keys for encryption.
Key features for secrets management include hierarchical storage with path-based organization (e.g., /prod/database/password), enabling logical grouping of secrets by environment or application. Parameter policies allow automatic expiration notifications, helping maintain security hygiene through regular rotation reminders.
Integration capabilities are extensive. Systems Manager parameters can be referenced by EC2 instances, Lambda functions, ECS tasks, and CloudFormation templates. IAM policies provide fine-grained access control, restricting who can read or modify specific parameters based on paths or tags.
For continuous improvement scenarios, Parameter Store supports versioning, allowing you to track changes and roll back if needed. CloudTrail integration provides audit logging for all parameter access and modifications, essential for compliance requirements.
Compared to AWS Secrets Manager, Parameter Store is more cost-effective for basic use cases but lacks built-in automatic rotation capabilities. For solutions requiring automatic credential rotation for RDS, Redshift, or DocumentDB databases, Secrets Manager is preferable. However, Parameter Store remains ideal for general configuration management alongside basic secrets storage.
Best practices include using SecureString for all sensitive data, implementing least-privilege IAM policies, organizing parameters hierarchically, enabling parameter policies for expiration tracking, and regularly auditing access patterns through CloudTrail. This approach ensures secure, maintainable secrets management within your AWS solutions architecture.
Systems Manager Secrets Management
Why It Is Important
Managing secrets such as database credentials, API keys, and passwords is critical for security in any AWS environment. Improper secrets management can lead to security breaches, data leaks, and compliance violations. AWS Systems Manager provides integrated capabilities for secure parameter storage and secrets management, making it essential knowledge for Solutions Architects designing secure, compliant architectures.
What Is Systems Manager Secrets Management?
AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store is a secure, hierarchical storage service for configuration data and secrets management. It allows you to store data such as passwords, database strings, Amazon Machine Image (AMI) IDs, and license codes as parameter values. Parameter Store integrates with AWS Key Management Service (KMS) for encryption of sensitive data.
There are two tiers available: - Standard Parameters: Free tier with up to 10,000 parameters, 4KB maximum size - Advanced Parameters: Paid tier with up to 100,000 parameters, 8KB maximum size, and additional features like parameter policies
How It Works
1. Parameter Types: - String: Plain text data - StringList: Comma-separated list of values - SecureString: Encrypted using AWS KMS keys
2. Encryption Process: - SecureString parameters are encrypted at rest using KMS - You can use the default AWS-managed key or your own Customer Managed Key (CMK) - Decryption happens when the parameter is retrieved with proper IAM permissions
3. Hierarchical Organization: - Parameters can be organized using paths like /prod/database/password - This enables granular IAM policies based on parameter paths - Supports up to 15 levels of hierarchy
4. Integration Points: - EC2, ECS, Lambda, and other AWS services can retrieve parameters - CloudFormation can reference parameters during stack creation - Integrates with AWS Secrets Manager for automatic rotation
Parameter Store vs Secrets Manager
Understanding when to use each service is crucial:
Parameter Store: - Lower cost (free for standard tier) - Good for configuration data and secrets - No built-in rotation capability - Simpler use cases
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Systems Manager Secrets Management
1. Cost Optimization Scenarios: When a question mentions budget constraints and secret storage, Parameter Store is often the answer due to its free tier. Look for keywords like cost-effective or minimal cost.
2. Rotation Requirements: If the question requires automatic secret rotation for databases, Secrets Manager is typically the correct choice. Parameter Store does not have built-in rotation.
3. Encryption Keywords: When you see requirements for encrypted storage of credentials, SecureString parameter type with KMS encryption is the solution.
4. Hierarchical Access Control: Questions involving different environments (dev, staging, prod) with separate access controls point toward Parameter Store's path-based organization with IAM policies.
5. Integration Questions: For scenarios involving EC2 instances retrieving configuration at launch, remember that Parameter Store integrates with EC2 User Data and can be accessed via the SSM agent.
6. Size Limitations: If a question mentions storing large configuration files or secrets exceeding 4KB, Advanced Parameters (8KB) or Secrets Manager (64KB) may be required.
7. Audit Requirements: Both services integrate with CloudTrail for auditing. Look for this when compliance and tracking access is mentioned.
8. Cross-Account Scenarios: For sharing secrets across accounts, Secrets Manager provides better native support through resource-based policies.
9. Version History: Both services support versioning, but if the question emphasizes tracking parameter changes over time, Parameter Store's version history feature is relevant.
10. Hybrid Architecture: For on-premises integration, remember that Systems Manager agents can retrieve parameters from Parameter Store, enabling hybrid secrets management.