What is Azure Key Vault used for?

Azure Key Vault is fundamentally a cloud service designed to securely store and manage cryptographic keys and secrets. It provides a centralized solution for managing sensitive information such as passwords, API keys, and cryptographic keys used for encryption. By using Azure Key Vault, organizations can enhance their security posture by limiting access to this critical data, ensuring that only authorized applications or users can retrieve the secrets.

Key features of Azure Key Vault include the ability to control access permissions through Azure Active Directory (AAD), audit access using logs, and automate key rotation, making it an integral part of managing a secure environment in Azure. This functionality is crucial for compliance with various regulations and helps organizations mitigate the risks associated with managing sensitive information manually.

In contrast, options that mention managing network access controls, analyzing application performance, or monitoring cloud costs focus on other aspects of Azure services that are not directly related to the secure management of secrets and keys, thus highlighting the distinct purpose of Azure Key Vault in the realm of security technologies.