HashiCorp Vault Secrets Management Checklist

Set up and run HashiCorp Vault in production: HA storage, TLS, auto-unseal, dynamic secrets, encryption as a service, and the policies, audit, and backups that keep it safe.

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Run a real server config with Integrated Storage, never dev mode

Critical

Enable TLS on every listener

Critical

Auto-unseal with a cloud KMS and split the recovery keys

Critical

Revoke the initial root token after bootstrap

Critical

Enable audit devices before any real traffic

Critical

Use auth methods instead of handing out tokens

Critical

Write least-privilege policies and never attach root to apps

Critical

Use dynamic secrets instead of static database passwords

Critical

Keep TTLs short and know the revoke commands

Encrypt with the transit engine instead of shipping keys to apps

Rotate encryption keys on a schedule

Deliver secrets with response wrapping

Automate Raft snapshots and test the restore

Critical

Export telemetry and alert on seal status

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