Which of the following best describes the management of secrets in Vault?

The management of secrets in Vault is best described as secure, controlled, and monitored access because Vault is designed specifically to handle sensitive data securely. It provides robust mechanisms for access control, allowing organizations to specify who can access which secrets and under what conditions. This is facilitated through policy-driven authorization that governs access to various secrets engines. Furthermore, Vault logs all access requests and secrets operations, allowing for comprehensive audit trails and monitoring. This design ensures that sensitive secrets are kept safe from unauthorized access while providing legitimate users with the necessary access to perform their duties.

The other options do not capture the essence of Vault's secret management adequately. While fully automated processes are possible, user input and validation are often necessary to configure and maintain security policies. The decentralized approach does not align with Vault’s architecture, where a centralized system manages secrets to ensure consistent security and policies. Lastly, suggesting that only system administrators manage secrets overlooks the role of various users and teams who may need access to specific secrets based on their functions, provided they have the appropriate permissions.