How is sensitive data in Vault treated?

Sensitive data in Vault is treated as stored, managed, and controlled assets, reflecting its primary purpose of providing a secure way to handle secrets. This is vital because Vault implements policies and mechanisms to ensure that access to sensitive data is tightly regulated.

The management aspect entails that data can be stored securely using strong encryption, and access controls are put in place to dictate who can interact with that data and under what circumstances. This ensures that sensitive information, such as passwords, API keys, and other secrets, is secured against unauthorized access while allowing defined users or applications to retrieve the information they need.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent the way Vault operates. While backing up and archiving sensitive data can be part of a larger data management strategy, it does not encompass the complete lifecycle of how Vault treats sensitive information. Open access by default contradicts the fundamental principle of security that Vault upholds. Additionally, limiting visibility to administrators does not leverage Vault’s policy-based controls that allow for a more granular approach to data access across various roles and users, thereby enhancing security rather than restricting access to a select few.