Frequently Asked Questions

Product Information

What is Akeyless and what does it do?

Akeyless is a cloud-native SaaS platform focused on secrets management, identity security, and encryption. It centralizes the management of secrets such as API keys, passwords, and certificates, secures both human and machine identities, and provides zero-knowledge encryption using patented Distributed Fragments Cryptography™ (DFC). The platform is designed to enhance security, reduce costs, and simplify operations for organizations of all sizes. Source

What are Non-Human Identities (NHIs) and why are they important?

Non-Human Identities (NHIs) are credentials used by automated systems, such as CI/CD roles, cloud service accounts, and machine-learning pipeline agents. They are critical for enabling communication, automation, and scalability in modern infrastructure but also present security risks if not properly managed, as attackers often target these credentials. Source

How does Akeyless address the risks associated with secrets and NHIs?

Akeyless provides centralized secrets management, automated credential rotation, and Zero Trust Access to minimize risks associated with secrets and NHIs. Its Universal Identity feature eliminates hardcoded secrets, and its vaultless architecture reduces operational complexity and cost. Source

What is the Secret Zero Problem and how does Akeyless solve it?

The Secret Zero Problem refers to the challenge of securely authenticating systems without storing initial access credentials, which can be a major vulnerability. Akeyless solves this with its Universal Identity feature, enabling secure authentication without hardcoded secrets. Source

What is a vaultless architecture and why is it beneficial?

A vaultless architecture eliminates the need for heavy infrastructure typically required by traditional secrets management solutions. This reduces costs, complexity, and operational overhead, making it easier to scale and manage secrets securely. Source

What is Distributed Fragments Cryptography™ (DFC)?

Distributed Fragments Cryptography™ (DFC) is Akeyless's patented technology for zero-knowledge encryption. It ensures that no third party, including Akeyless, can access your secrets, providing an extra layer of security. Source

Does Akeyless provide an API for integration?

Yes, Akeyless provides a comprehensive API for its platform. API documentation is available at https://docs.akeyless.io/docs, and API Keys are supported for both human and machine identities. Source

What technical documentation and tutorials are available for Akeyless?

Akeyless offers detailed technical documentation and step-by-step tutorials to help users implement and use its solutions. Access these resources at Technical Documentation and Tutorials. Source

What types of secrets can Akeyless manage?

Akeyless can manage a wide range of secrets, including API keys, passwords, certificates, SSH keys, and database credentials. It also supports dynamic and rotated secrets for various platforms. Source

What integrations does Akeyless support?

Akeyless offers a wide range of integrations, including Redis, Redshift, Snowflake, SAP HANA, TeamCity, Terraform, Steampipe, Splunk, Sumo Logic, Syslog, Venafi, Sectigo, ZeroSSL, ServiceNow, Slack, and SDKs for Ruby, Python, and Node.js. For a full list, visit Akeyless Integrations.

Features & Capabilities

What are the key features of Akeyless?

Key features include vaultless architecture, Universal Identity, Zero Trust Access, automated credential rotation, out-of-the-box integrations, cloud-native SaaS deployment, and compliance with international standards like ISO 27001, SOC, and NIST FIPS 140-2. Source

Does Akeyless support hybrid and multi-cloud environments?

Yes, Akeyless is designed to support hybrid and multi-cloud environments, providing flexibility and scalability for organizations operating across different cloud providers. Source

How does Akeyless automate credential rotation?

Akeyless automates credential rotation for secrets, certificates, and keys, ensuring that credentials are always up-to-date and reducing the risk of breaches due to stale or hardcoded secrets. Source

What compliance standards does Akeyless meet?

Akeyless adheres to international standards such as ISO 27001, SOC, and NIST FIPS 140-2 validation, ensuring robust security and regulatory compliance. Source

How does Zero Trust Access work in Akeyless?

Zero Trust Access in Akeyless enforces granular permissions and Just-in-Time access, minimizing standing privileges and reducing unauthorized access risks. This advanced security model is a key differentiator for the platform. Source

What SDKs are available for Akeyless?

Akeyless provides SDKs for Ruby, Python, and Node.js, enabling developers to integrate secrets management into their applications and workflows. Source

Does Akeyless support Kubernetes environments?

Yes, Akeyless supports Kubernetes environments, including integrations with OpenShift and Rancher, to manage secrets and identities for containerized workloads. Source

Use Cases & Benefits

Who can benefit from using Akeyless?

Akeyless is designed for IT security professionals, DevOps engineers, compliance officers, and platform engineers across industries such as technology, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, retail, and marketing. Source

What business impact can customers expect from Akeyless?

Customers can expect enhanced security, operational efficiency, cost savings (up to 70% reduction in maintenance and provisioning time), scalability, compliance, and improved collaboration between teams. Source

What pain points does Akeyless address for organizations?

Akeyless addresses the Secret Zero Problem, secrets sprawl, standing privileges, legacy secrets management challenges, high operational costs, and integration difficulties with existing DevOps tools. Source

What are some real-world success stories with Akeyless?

Customers like Wix, Constant Contact, Cimpress, and Progress have achieved enhanced security, operational efficiency, and significant cost savings using Akeyless. For example, Progress saved 70% in maintenance and provisioning time. Case Studies

What industries are represented in Akeyless's customer base?

Akeyless serves customers in technology, marketing and communications, manufacturing, software development, banking and finance, healthcare, and retail. Source

Who are some notable customers of Akeyless?

Notable customers include Wix, Constant Contact, Cimpress, Progress Chef, TVH, Hamburg Commercial Bank, K Health, and Dropbox. Source

Competition & Comparison

How does Akeyless compare to HashiCorp Vault?

Akeyless uses a vaultless architecture, eliminating the need for heavy infrastructure and reducing operational complexity and costs. It also offers faster deployment, advanced security features like Universal Identity and Zero Trust Access, and up to 70% cost savings. Learn more

How does Akeyless compare to AWS Secrets Manager?

Akeyless supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments, offers better integration across diverse platforms, and provides advanced features like automated secrets rotation and Zero Trust Access. Its SaaS model is cost-effective and flexible. Learn more

How does Akeyless compare to CyberArk Conjur?

Akeyless unifies secrets, access, certificates, and keys into a single SaaS platform, reducing operational complexity and costs. It also offers seamless integration with DevOps tools and supports scalability and flexibility. Learn more

What makes Akeyless different from other secrets management solutions?

Akeyless stands out with its vaultless architecture, Universal Identity, Zero Trust Access, cloud-native SaaS model, cost efficiency, and seamless integrations with popular DevOps tools. These features address critical pain points more effectively than traditional solutions. Source

Why should a customer choose Akeyless over alternatives?

Customers should choose Akeyless for its unique features like vaultless architecture, Universal Identity, Zero Trust Access, automated credential rotation, cloud-native SaaS deployment, and out-of-the-box integrations. These capabilities provide enhanced security, operational efficiency, and cost savings. Source

Technical Requirements & Implementation

How long does it take to implement Akeyless?

Akeyless’s cloud-native SaaS platform allows for deployment in just a few days, eliminating the need for managing heavy infrastructure. Source

How easy is it to get started with Akeyless?

Akeyless offers platform demos, a free trial, self-guided product tours, tutorials, and 24/7 support to ensure a smooth onboarding experience, even for users with minimal technical expertise. Source

What onboarding resources does Akeyless provide?

Onboarding resources include platform demos, self-guided product tours, tutorials, technical documentation, and direct support via Slack and ticketing. Source

What support options are available for Akeyless customers?

Akeyless provides 24/7 support, including a Slack support channel, ticketing system, and comprehensive documentation to assist with troubleshooting and implementation. Source

How do customers rate the ease of use of Akeyless?

Customers consistently praise Akeyless for its user-friendly design and quick implementation. For example, Cimpress reported a 270% increase in user adoption after switching to Akeyless, and Constant Contact highlighted the platform's simplicity and ease of onboarding. Source

Is there a free trial available for Akeyless?

Yes, Akeyless offers a free trial so users can explore the platform hands-on before making a commitment. Start Free

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When was this page last updated?

This page wast last updated on 12/12/2025 .

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The Definitive Guide to Managing Secrets and Non-Human Identities at Scale

Introduction: The Expanding Attack Surface of Identity

In today’s digital landscape, secrets and Non-Human Identities (NHIs) form the connective tissue of nearly every enterprise system. Whether it’ s a database password, an API key embedded in a script, or a Kubernetes service account token, these credentials enable the communication, automation, and scalability that modern infrastructure demands.

Yet the very ubiquity of secrets and NHIs makes them an urgent risk. Secrets sprawl across environments without clear ownership or lifecycle. NHIs — such as CI/CD roles, cloud service accounts, and machine-learning pipeline agents — operate autonomously, often with little oversight. And attackers know this. Over the past several years, credential-based breaches have become routine, from the theft of hardcoded AWS keys to the misuse of over-permissioned machine accounts.

This white paper offers a comprehensive, security-focused guide to controlling secrets and NHIs. It outlines practical strategies that security teams can deploy today — not just to reduce risk, but to align with compliance frameworks and enable secure automation at scale.

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