Which of the following describes Azure Key Vault?

Azure Key Vault is specifically designed to manage cryptographic keys, secrets, and certificates in a secure manner. It serves as a centralized cloud service for securely storing and accessing sensitive information that applications may need at runtime. This can include API keys, passwords, SSL certificates, and cryptographic keys used for encryption and decryption.

The benefits of Azure Key Vault include enhanced security, as it provides a way to control access to sensitive data using Azure Active Directory (AD) for authentication. It also offers features such as key rotation and logging of key access, which are essential for maintaining security compliance. By using Azure Key Vault, organizations can reduce the risks associated with storing secrets in code or configuration files and can more easily manage security governance.

In contrast, services focused on high-performance computing, application deployment, or virtual machine creation do not align with the primary function of Azure Key Vault. These services serve different purposes and do not encompass the specialized role of managing cryptographic aspects that Key Vault offers.