Credential Rotation
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Credential Rotation is the practice of regularly changing ALL your secrets — database passwords, API keys, certificates, tokens. Like changing all the locks in your building on a schedule. If something was compromised and you didn't know, rotation limits how long the attacker has access.
Real Talk
Credential rotation is the systematic replacement of authentication credentials on a defined schedule or in response to security events. Automated rotation via secret managers (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) eliminates manual processes. Rotation frequency depends on credential sensitivity and compliance requirements.
When You'll Hear This
"Vault auto-rotates our database credentials every 24 hours." / "After the breach, we triggered emergency rotation of every credential in the system."
Related Terms
API Key Rotation
API Key Rotation is regularly replacing your API keys with new ones. Like changing passwords, but for machine-to-machine authentication.
HashiCorp Vault
HashiCorp Vault is a fortress for your secrets.
Secret Scanning
Secret Scanning checks your code for accidentally committed passwords, API keys, and tokens. Pushed your AWS key to GitHub?
Token Rotation
Token Rotation means regularly replacing your tokens with fresh ones. Old token out, new token in.