What is SECRETS in Kubernetes?

Secrets in Kubernetes is a powerful way to securely store sensitive information such as passwords, tokens, keys, certificates, and other confidential data. Kubernetes provides an API to store and manage secrets called Secrets API. It is designed to be highly secure and is encrypted during transit as well as at rest.

Kubernetes Secrets are created by first defining the data (key-value pairs), which is then used to create a Secret object. This Secret object is stored in etcd, the distributed key-value store for Kubernetes. Once created, the secret can be consumed by its corresponding containers in the form of environment variables, or mounted to its file system as a volume.

Kubernetes Secrets should be used whenever sensitive information needs to be passed in a secure manner. The best practices for using Kubernetes Secrets are:

1. Store secrets in an encrypted format (AES-256 or similar).
2. Limit access to secrets only to those who need it.
3. Rotate secrets regularly.
4. Always use the latest version of secrets.
5. Avoid storing secrets in plain text on the server.
6. Use the built-in Vault to manage secrets efficiently.

By following these guidelines and making use of the Kubernetes Secrets API, organizations can protect their confidential data while also maximizing its value.