Key & Secrets Vault

Key & Secrets Vault description

Overview

The Key & Secrets Vault is a secure system designed to manage API keys and secrets while enabling natural language interactions with LLM systems. It implements a human-readable key mapping mechanism that allows LLMs to reference keys naturally while maintaining security.

Core Concepts

Human-Readable Keys

The vault system introduces the concept of human-readable keys, which are intuitive identifiers that LLMs can understand and use in their operations. For example:

• Human-readable key: GOOGLE_MAPS_KEY_FOR_GEOCODING

• Actual API key: AIza... (actual API key stored securely)

Local-First Storage

The vault prioritizes security by storing secrets locally on the user's machine:

• Keys are stored in an encrypted format

• Storage location is user-specific and access-controlled

• No cloud synchronization by default

Key Mapping System

The vault implements a bidirectional mapping system:

• Translation from human-readable keys to actual API keys

• Runtime replacement of keys in API calls

• Secure key rotation support

Implementation

Storage Structure

The vault uses a hierarchical storage structure:

vault/
├── keys/
│   ├── encrypted_keys.db
│   └── key_metadata.json
├── mappings/
│   └── key_mappings.json
└── config/
    └── vault_config.json

Security Measures

1. Encryption at Rest

   • All keys are encrypted before storage

   • User-specific encryption key

   • Secure key derivation

2. Access Control

   • Permission-based access system

   • Application-level authentication

   • Audit logging

3. Key Rotation

   • Automated key rotation support

   • Version history maintenance

   • Graceful transition periods

Usage

Key Registration

Register new keys with human-readable identifiers:

await vault.register({
  readableKey: "MAPS_GEOCODING_KEY",
  actualKey: "actual-api-key-value",
  description: "Google Maps Geocoding API Key",
  expiresAt: "2024-12-31"
});

Key Retrieval

Retrieve keys using human-readable identifiers:

javascriptCopyconst apiKey = await vault.get("MAPS_GEOCODING_KEY");

LLM Integration

Example of LLM interaction using human-readable keys:

// LLM can generate code using human-readable keys
const geocodingCode = `
  const response = await fetch(url, {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': MAPS_GEOCODING_KEY
    }
  });
`;

// Vault system automatically replaces keys during execution
const executedCode = await vault.executeWithKeys(geocodingCode);

Configuration

Local Storage Setup

Configure the local storage location:

vault.configure({
  storageLocation: "~/.config/vault",
  encryptionMethod: "AES-256-GCM",
  backupEnabled: true
});

Key Management Rules

Define rules for key management:

vault.setKeyRules({
  rotationPeriod: "90days",
  minimumLength: 32,
  requiresBackup: true
});

Best Practices

Key Naming Conventions

1. Use descriptive, purpose-indicating names

2. Include service and functionality in the name

3. Use uppercase with underscores

4. Include version or environment if necessary

Security Guidelines

1. Regular key rotation

2. Secure backup management

3. Access logging and monitoring

4. Environment-specific keys

Local Development

Find a better init Vault set-up for LeviaProtocal, easier way.

Setting Up Local Vault

1. Initialize local vault:

   bashCopyvault init --local

2. Configure encryption:

   bashCopyvault configure encryption --method AES-256-GCM

3. Set up backup:

   bashCopyvault configure backup --location ./backup

Testing

1. Key registration testing

2. Key retrieval performance

3. Encryption/decryption validation

4. Access control verification

Error Handling

The vault implements comprehensive error handling:

1. Key not found scenarios

2. Encryption/decryption failures

3. Storage access issues

4. Permission-related errors

Limitations

Current limitations of the system:

1. Single-machine scope

2. No built-in synchronization

3. Limited to local filesystem

4. Requires secure environment

Future Enhancements

Planned improvements:

1. Distributed vault support

2. Cloud backup options

3. Team sharing capabilities

4. Advanced key rotation patterns

API Reference

Core Functions

• vault.register(keyConfig)

• vault.get(readableKey)

• vault.update(readableKey, newConfig)

• vault.delete(readableKey)

• vault.rotate(readableKey)

• vault.list()

• vault.verify(readableKey)

Configuration Functions

• vault.configure(config)

• vault.setKeyRules(rules)

• vault.getKeyMetadata(readableKey)

• vault.updateKeyMetadata(readableKey, metadata)