Runtime Secrets
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      1. Approov Mobile Security Knowledge Base
      2. Mobile App Security
      3. Runtime Secrets

      How does Approov's Runtime Secrets Protection Compare to AWS KMS and HashiCorp Vault?

      Approov's runtime secrets protection differs from AWS Key Management Service (KMS) and HashiCorp Vault in six key ways

      Approov's runtime secrets protection differs from AWS Key Management Service (KMS) and HashiCorp Vault in several key ways:

      • Mobile-specific focus:

      Approov is specifically designed for protecting mobile app secrets and API keys, while AWS KMS and HashiCorp Vault are more general-purpose secret management solutions.

      • Dynamic delivery:

      Approov delivers secrets to mobile apps at runtime, only to verified authentic instances of the app. AWS KMS and Vault typically require the app to retrieve secrets, which could potentially be intercepted.

      • App attestation:

      Approov verifies the integrity and authenticity of the mobile app before delivering secrets. This adds an extra layer of security not present in KMS or Vault.

      • Cloud-based architecture:

      Approov manages secrets in a secure cloud service, while KMS is tied to AWS and Vault can be self-hosted or cloud-based.

      • Performance optimization:

      Approov is designed to minimize performance impact on mobile apps, with features like short-lived tokens to reduce frequent key retrievals.

      • Unified cross-platform solution:

      Approov provides a unified solution for iOS, Android, and HarmonyOS, whereas KMS and Vault may require different implementations across platforms.

      • Real-time threat analytics:

      Approov offers visibility into mobile app security threats, which is not a primary focus of KMS or Vault.

      • Integration complexity:

      Approov may require less integration effort specifically for mobile apps compared to the more general-purpose KMS and Vault solutions.

      While AWS KMS and HashiCorp Vault are powerful secret management tools, Approov's specialized focus on mobile app security and its runtime delivery model provide unique advantages for protecting mobile API keys and secrets. Approov's approach is more tailored to the specific challenges of mobile app security, including protection against reverse engineering and runtime attacks.


      Citations:

      [1] https://approov.io/knowledge/how-does-approov-protect-web

      [2] https://approov.io

      [3] https://approov.io/knowledge/runtime-secrets-vs-code-obfuscation

      [4] https://www.reddit.com/r/reactjs/comments/1cqrow5/api_key_how_do_you_actually_secure_it/

      [5] https://infisical.com/blog/api-key-management

      [6] https://www.wiz.io/academy/api-security-best-practices

      [7] https://armur.ai/api-security/auth/auth/api-key-management-and-secure-storage/

      [8] https://escape.tech/blog/how-to-secure-api-secret-keys/