In Vault, what type of data can be considered a secret?

In the context of Vault, secrets refer to sensitive data that must be stored and managed securely to protect against unauthorized access. Access keys and encryption keys are prime examples of this type of sensitive information. They are critical for maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of data in various applications, and their exposure could lead to unauthorized data breaches, loss of access, or other security incidents.

Access keys provide rights to access certain resources, while encryption keys are essential for encrypting or decrypting sensitive information. Therefore, mismanagement or exposure of these keys would directly compromise the security of systems relying on them.

While digital signatures have their importance in the context of authentication and integrity, they do not represent the broader category of sensitive data handled by Vault in the same way that access and encryption keys do. Publicly shared data is not considered a secret, and while all forms of user data can include sensitive items, not all user data qualifies as a secret by default. Only that which requires protection to prevent unauthorized access aligns with the definition of a secret within Vault.