What is the Universal Secrets Connector (USC) from Akeyless?

The Universal Secrets Connector (USC) is a capability within the Akeyless Vaultless® Platform that enables organizations to centralize governance and control of secrets across multiple clouds and platforms. USC allows you to manage secrets stored in external secret managers such as AWS Secrets Manager, Kubernetes Secret Manager, Azure Key Vault, and GCP, all from a single location within the Akeyless platform. This eliminates the need to migrate existing secrets or replace your current secret managers, streamlining secrets management and improving visibility.

What are the main benefits of using the Universal Secrets Connector?

USC centralizes secrets management across multiple clouds and platforms, providing a unified platform for managing secrets from different vaults. Key benefits include improved visibility, simplified compliance, and enhanced operational efficiency. USC enables organizations to track, monitor, and log all secret activities for audit and compliance purposes, and it streamlines authentication by allowing users to access secrets across infrastructure with a single point of authentication.

Do I need to migrate my existing secrets to use USC?

No, USC allows you to manage secrets from external secret managers without requiring migration or replacement of your existing secret managers. You can connect Akeyless to your current vaults and manage secrets centrally.

What features does Akeyless offer for secrets management?

Akeyless provides a comprehensive suite of features for secrets management, including Vaultless Architecture, Universal Identity (solving the Secret Zero Problem), Zero Trust Access, automated credential rotation, centralized secrets management, and out-of-the-box integrations with tools like AWS IAM, Azure AD, Jenkins, Kubernetes, and Terraform.

Does Akeyless support API access and automation?

Yes, Akeyless provides an API for its platform, supporting secure interactions for both human and machine identities. API documentation and guides are available at docs.akeyless.io/docs. API Keys are supported for authentication.

What technical documentation is available for Akeyless?

Akeyless offers extensive technical documentation, including general platform guides, password management, Kubernetes secrets management, AWS target integration, PKI-as-a-Service, and more. Resources are available at docs.akeyless.io and tutorials.akeyless.io/docs.

Who can benefit from using Akeyless and the Universal Secrets Connector?

Akeyless is designed for IT security professionals, DevOps engineers, compliance officers, and platform engineers across industries such as technology, finance, retail, manufacturing, and cloud infrastructure. Organizations with complex, multi-cloud environments and multiple secrets managers benefit from centralized governance, improved compliance, and operational efficiency.

What business impact can customers expect from using Akeyless?

Customers can expect enhanced security, operational efficiency, cost savings, scalability, and improved compliance. Case studies show up to 70% savings in maintenance and provisioning time, streamlined workflows, and reduced risk of breaches.

Can you share specific case studies or customer success stories?

Yes, Akeyless has several published case studies and video testimonials. For example, Progress saved 70% of maintenance and provisioning time, Constant Contact scaled in a multi-cloud environment, Cimpress transitioned from Hashi Vault to Akeyless for enhanced security, and Wix adopted Akeyless for centralized secrets management.

What security and compliance certifications does Akeyless hold?

Akeyless is certified for ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, FIPS 140-2, and CSA STAR. These certifications demonstrate adherence to international security standards and regulatory requirements. Details and certificates are available at the Akeyless Trust Center.

How does Akeyless ensure data protection and security?

Akeyless uses patented encryption technologies to secure data in transit and at rest. The platform enforces Zero Trust Access with granular permissions and Just-in-Time access, minimizing standing privileges and reducing access risks. Audit and reporting tools are provided to track every secret for compliance and regulatory readiness.

How does Akeyless compare to HashiCorp Vault?

Akeyless offers a Vaultless Architecture, eliminating the need for heavy infrastructure and reducing costs and complexity. Unlike HashiCorp Vault's self-hosted model, Akeyless is a cloud-native SaaS platform that provides faster deployment, easier scalability, and advanced security features like Zero Trust Access and automated credential rotation.

How does Akeyless compare to AWS Secrets Manager?

Akeyless supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments, whereas AWS Secrets Manager is limited to AWS. Akeyless provides better integration across diverse environments, advanced features like Universal Identity and Zero Trust Access, and significant cost savings with a pay-as-you-go pricing model.

How does Akeyless compare to CyberArk Conjur?

Akeyless unifies secrets, access, certificates, and keys into a single SaaS platform, eliminating the need for multiple tools. It offers advanced security measures such as Zero Trust Access and Vaultless Architecture, reducing operational complexity and costs compared to traditional PAM solutions.

How easy is it to implement Akeyless and the Universal Secrets Connector?

Akeyless is SaaS-native and can be deployed in just a few days, requiring no infrastructure management. For specific use cases, such as deploying the Akeyless Vault platform in OpenShift, setup can be completed in less than 2.5 minutes. Self-guided product tours, platform demos, tutorials, and 24/7 support are available to help users get started quickly.

What customer service and support options are available?

Akeyless offers 24/7 customer support via ticket submission, email, and Slack channel. Proactive assistance is provided for upgrades and troubleshooting. Extensive technical documentation and tutorials are available, and an escalation procedure exists for expedited problem resolution.

What training and onboarding resources are available?

Training resources include a self-guided product tour, platform demos, step-by-step tutorials, and comprehensive technical documentation. These resources help customers quickly adopt and implement Akeyless solutions.

What feedback have customers shared about the ease of use of Akeyless?

Customers consistently praise Akeyless for its ease of use and seamless integration. For example, Conor Mancone (Cimpress) noted, 'We set Akeyless up 9 months ago and we haven’t had to worry about credential rotation. We haven’t had to worry about credential leakage. All of our software that’s running, it just works — we haven’t really had to think about it since then. It’s been a really smooth, really easy process.'

Who are some of Akeyless's customers?

Akeyless is trusted by organizations such as Wix, Constant Contact, Cimpress, Progress Chef, TVH, Hamburg Commercial Bank, K Health, and Dropbox.

What problems does Akeyless solve for organizations?

Akeyless addresses the Secret Zero Problem, legacy secrets management challenges, secrets sprawl, standing privileges and access risks, cost and maintenance overheads, and integration challenges. The platform centralizes secrets management, automates credential rotation, enforces Zero Trust Access, and reduces operational costs.

When was this page last updated?

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

Akeyless Universal Secrets Connector: A Secrets Manager of Managers

November 2, 2023
Posted by Joyce Ling

The Universal Secrets Connector is a new capability in the Akeyless Vaultless® Platform that allows you to centralize governance and control of your secrets without the need to migrate existing secrets or to replace existing secret managers.*

In today’s complex IT landscape, managing secrets across multiple clouds and platforms isn’t easy. Many organizations rely on multiple secrets managers, leading to siloed management, limited visibility, and compliance challenges. However, with the Universal Secrets Connector (USC) from Akeyless, you can easily overcome these obstacles and take control of your secrets management strategy.

Check out this two-minute demo:

What is the Universal Secrets Connector?

The Akeyless USC aims to provide a single location for managing all secrets, including those stored in external secret managers such as AWS Secret Manager, Kubernetes Secret Manager, Azure Key Vault, and GCP. It allows users to manage secrets from these external managers through the Akeyless platform, providing centralized access control and making it easier to handle multiple secret managers across different accounts or environments.

How does the Universal Secrets Connector Work?

The USC feature in Akeyless allows users to create multiple external secrets manager items, each representing a different secrets manager. Users can create, view, update, and delete secrets within these managers directly from the Akeyless console. The feature supports key-value storage for secrets and provides actions such as creating, updating, and deleting secrets.

Powerful Benefits of the Universal Secrets Connector for Secrets Management

Easily Manage Secrets Management Across Multiple Clouds and Platforms

If your organization utilizes multiple secrets managers, you know the pain of dealing with scattered secrets, lack of central management, and limited visibility. USC simplifies secrets management by centralizing control and providing a unified platform for managing secrets from different vaults. Say goodbye to the complexities of managing secrets across your infrastructure. With USC, you can effortlessly manage secrets from any supported vault within Akeyless, eliminating the need for separate tools and improving overall efficiency.

Gain Visibility and Facilitate Compliance in Secrets Management

One of the biggest challenges in secrets management is maintaining visibility and ensuring compliance across your organization. USC offers a comprehensive solution by providing a central location for viewing and logging all your secrets. This centralized approach makes it easier to track, monitor, and log activities related to secret creation and access. All USC activities can be easily tracked and exported for auditing purposes, simplifying compliance. Gain peace of mind knowing that your secrets are secure, visible, and trackable with Akeyless USC.

Enhance All Your Vaults with the Power of Akeyless

USC not only centralizes secrets management but also enhances the capabilities of your existing vaults. By connecting Akeyless with your current vaults, you simplify authentication for users.

With Akeyless as the single point of authentication, users can seamlessly access secrets across your infrastructure, eliminating the need to authenticate with multiple vaults. In addition, Akeyless provides a user-friendly CLI and SDKs, making secrets management less tedious and more streamlined. Unlock the power of Akeyless to enhance your secrets management workflow.

Transform Your Secrets Management

The Universal Secrets Connector (USC) from Akeyless offers a transformative solution for secrets management across multiple clouds and platforms. By centralizing secrets management, you can simplify operations, improve visibility, and ensure compliance. With USC, you gain control over your secrets while enhancing your existing vaults with the ease of Akeyless authentication and streamlined management tools. USC is available for all Akeyless customers without additional purchase.

Experience how Universal Secrets Connector works in Akeyless👇

Ready to dive in? You can:

Book a custom demo to discuss how the Universal Secrets Connector can meet your organization’s needs, or…
Discover more about the Universal Secrets Connector in an upcoming webinar on July 12 with our founder (replay available).
Read more about USC in the press release.

*Universal Secrets Connector (USC) was formerly known as the External Secrets Manager (ESM).

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Product Information: Universal Secrets Connector (USC)