Introduction
Azure Key Vault is a cloud service that provides a secure and centralized location to store sensitive information such as secrets, encryption keys, and certificates. To enhance the security of Azure Key Vault, one can leverage Private Endpoints to ensure that data traversing between your Azure resources and Key Vault remains within the Microsoft Azure network. Additionally, configuring Private IP Resolution for the Private Endpoint ensures that the Key Vault resolves to a private IP address within your Virtual Network.
This document outlines the steps to secure Azure Key Vault using Private Endpoint and Private IP Resolution and includes instructions on resolving the Key Vault endpoint using nslookup.
Prerequisites
Before securing Azure Key Vault with Private Endpoint, ensure that you have the following prerequisites:
- Azure Subscription: You should have an active Azure subscription.
- Azure Key Vault: Create an Azure Key Vault if you haven't done so already.
- Virtual Network: Have a Virtual Network (VNet) set up where your Azure resources and Key Vault are deployed.
Steps to Secure Azure Key Vault with Private Endpoint and Private IP Resolution
1. Create a Private Endpoint for Azure Key Vault
Navigate to the Azure portal and follow these steps:
- Go to the Azure Key Vault resource.
- In the left navigation pane, click on Settings.
- Under the Settings section, click on Private Endpoint connections.
- Click on + Add to create a new Private Endpoint connection.
- Fill in the necessary details, including the Virtual Network and Subnet where the Private Endpoint will be created.
- Enable Private DNS integration and set the Private DNS zone to your preference.
- Click on Review + create and then click on Create to provision the Private Endpoint.
2. Update Key Vault Firewall Rules
To ensure that traffic is allowed only through the Private Endpoint and resolves to a private IP address, update the Key Vault firewall rules:
- Navigate to the Azure Key Vault resource.
- In the left navigation pane, click on Settings.
- Under the Settings section, click on Firewall and virtual network.
- Set the Allow access from option to Selected networks.
- Add the Virtual Network and subnet associated with the Private Endpoint to the selected networks.
- Save the changes.
3. Enable Private IP Resolution
For Private IP Resolution, follow these steps:
- In the Azure portal, navigate to the Virtual Network associated with the Private Endpoint.
- Click on Private DNS zones and verify that the Private DNS zone for the Key Vault is present.
- Ensure that the Virtual Network's DNS settings are configured to use the Azure-provided DNS server.
4. Validate Private Endpoint Connectivity and Private IP Resolution
After creating the Private Endpoint and enabling Private IP Resolution, it's essential to validate the connectivity:
- Navigate to the Azure Key Vault resource.
- In the left navigation pane, click on Settings.
- Under the Settings section, click on Private Endpoint connections.
- Verify that the status of the Private Endpoint connection is Approved.
- Test the access by retrieving a secret or performing any Key Vault operation programmatically or through the Azure portal.
5. Resolve Key Vault Endpoint Using nslookup
To verify that the Key Vault endpoint resolves to a private IP address, use the nslookup command:
nslookup <your-key-vault-name>.vault.azure.net
Ensure that the resolved IP address belongs to the Private IP range associated with your Virtual Network.
Conclusion
Securing Azure Key Vault with Private Endpoint and enabling Private IP Resolution provides a comprehensive solution for safeguarding your sensitive information within a private Azure network. By following the steps outlined in this document, you not only ensure that data flows over a private network but also that the Key Vault resolves to a private IP address, adding an extra layer of confidentiality and security. Regularly review and update your security configurations to adapt to evolving security requirements.
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