TL;DR:
Use 1Password with DUO Device Management for secure, reliable password storage and management of sensitive configurations in cloud and development environments, ideal for freelancers and SMEs.
Why This Article Matters
- For entrepreneurs:
- Ensure your business data remains secure and compliant with security regulations.
- For developers:
- Effortlessly store and securely manage sensitive configurations and environment variables.
- For IT administrators:
- Protect business data from cybersecurity threats and simplify compliance with privacy regulations by reliably authenticating devices and users.
The challange
How do you ensure sensitive company data, like passwords, configurations, and API keys, is both easily accessible and maximally secure for all employees?
DUO Device Management
Combining 1Password with DUO Security enables secure access through robust Device Management. This significantly strengthens authentication and better protects against phishing and hacks. DUO helps you monitor devices, ensuring operating systems, browsers, and software remain up-to-date, thus minimizing security risks to your organization.
How it works?
- Log in op 1Password.
- Authenticate the device via DUO Device Management, for example using the DUO Mobile App. DUO Mobile App
- Securely access your passwords and vaults in 1Password.
More information:
Vault access
1Password provides secure password vaults accessible through:
- Browser Extensions: Automatic filling of passwords and forms.
- Mobile Apps: Secure access on the go, further secured via DUO verification.
- Desktop Apps: Easy management and overview at your workstation.
- CLI-tool: 1Password CLI for automated and secure access to secrets and configurations.
This ensures secure data availability anywhere, without sacrificing convenience.
Voor ontwikkelaars en ops engineers
Using the 1Password CLI-tool , you can safely and conveniently load environment variables, YAML, and JSON configurations directly from your vault. This prevents sensitive data from being stored locally or in Git..
Examples:
Loading .env files without storing the values locally:
op run --env-file="./prod.env" -- aws
Loading YAML or JSON configurations:
op inject -i config.template.yaml -o config.yaml
View more examples in the 1Password CLI documentation.
Central environment config in a vault
Centralizing your configuration files and API keys in 1Password ensures reproducible and secure setups for all cloud and CI/CD environments.
Steps:
- Store cloud configurations in structured items within 1Password.
- Load configurations through scripts or pipelines.
- Load configurations through scripts or pipelines.
Dit voorkomt menselijke fouten, verhoogt beveiliging en versnelt de implementatie van infrastructuur en diensten.
Common mistakes
Storing passwords in insecure files or locations
Unfortunately, passwords are often saved in standalone files, Excel documents, text files, emails, or hidden folders. These methods are risky since they're only "hidden" from the user, not from hackers or malware. Centralizing your passwords in 1Password mitigates these ri
Storing sensitive data in Git
Passwords and configurations are often inadvertently stored in version control systems like Git. Even using solutions like "Git secrets" can complicate management. Using the 1Password CLI allows centralized, secure configuration for your entire DTAP environment.
Neglecting device verification
Many businesses still fail to adequately verify devices. Without this critical measure, unmanaged devices with outdated software or malware can endanger your organization. DUO Device Management proactively addresses this issue.
Weak passwords and unsafe SSH keys
Password managers like 1Password encourage the use of strong, automatically generated passwords. Often, simple passwords or unsafe SSH keys are chosen for ease of use, significantly increasing risks. Password managers facilitate stronger, more secure passwords and keys.
Losing track of configurations
When configurations are stored across multiple locations, it's easy to lose oversight. Centralizing configurations in 1Password provides clear structure and visibility, allowing you to know exactly which configurations are active.
Door bewust te zijn van deze veelgemaakte fouten en proactief te kiezen voor een centraal en veilig wachtwoordbeheer met 1Password en DUO Device Management voorkom je dat je organisatie onnodige risico’s loopt.
Best practices
- Implement DUO Device Management for multi-factor authentication and device security.
- Centralize your configurations and secrets in 1Password, using CLI automation for secure loading.
- Only reference vault items in your .env, YAML, or JSON files. Load secrets "on demand" to ensure secure and correct configurations.
Not recommended: The standard 1Password GitHub Action, since it only supports Linux and not Windows. At ASD Engineering, we use a custom GitHub Action based on shyim/1password-load-secrets-action, offering full Windows compatibility.
More information:
Summary and outcomes
Integrating 1Password with DUO Security ensures optimal security and ease of use within your business. Managing passwords, configurations, and secrets becomes simpler, safer, and reproducible. Additionally, costs for DUO and 1Password are highly attractive for freelancers and SMEs:
- DUO is free for 1-10 users.
- Competitive pricing and integration options with 1Password Teams en Business
FAQ
Can DUO be used with any device?
Yes, DUO offers extensive device management. Always check compatibility on the DUO website
Is storing all secrets in 1Password safe?
Ja, mits gecombineerd met strikte toegang via DUO Device Management met minimaal 2FA (bijvoorbeeld wachtwoord + apparaatverificatie via DUO). DUO ondersteunt echter ook meer dan twee factoren (MFA), zoals wachtwoord + apparaat + biometrie.
Inside ASD Engineering
At ASD Engineering, we extensively use 1Password for credential management, configuration management, and secure CI/CD pipeline integrations. DUO Device Management ensures only authenticated devices access our vaults.
For a client with numerous remote and hybrid workers, we implemented DUO + 1Password to securely manage identities and credentials, ensuring secure work from any location.
