--- title: Are API Keys Passwords? Yes, Here’s Why | daily.dev description: Argues that API keys function identically to passwords since they are static, copyable credentials that can be stolen or guessed, making them a leading cause... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/are-api-keys-passwords-yes-here-s-why-gh8od08an twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Are API Keys Passwords? Yes, Here’s Why | daily.dev og:description: Argues that API keys function identically to passwords since they are static, copyable credentials that can be stolen or guessed, making them a leading cause... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/are-api-keys-passwords-yes-here-s-why-gh8od08an og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/GH8OD08AN.png og:image:alt: Are API Keys Passwords? Yes, Here’s Why og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Are API Keys Passwords? Yes, Here’s Why **[Teleport](https://daily.dev/sources/teleport)** · 3 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Argues that API keys function identically to passwords since they are static, copyable credentials that can be stolen or guessed, making them a leading cause of data breaches. Cites a Teleport-commissioned survey showing passwords remain the top method for managing infrastructure access, and criticizes password managers/vaults as a false sense of security. Advocates for identity-based, short-lived certificates as a more secure and productive alternative, referencing breach costs like the $2 billion Equifax incident. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Are API keys basically the same as passwords from a security standpoint? Yes, API keys function as passwords because they are static text credentials that can be copied and passed as-is from a client to a service for authentication, meaning anyone who obtains the key gains access. This makes them vulnerable to theft, interception, and misuse in the same way traditional passwords are, and misused or stolen credentials remain the leading cause of data breaches. _Developers weighing credential strategies can follow secure access practices and infrastructure security discussions on daily.dev._ ### Why are password managers or vaults not a real solution to API key security risks? Password managers and vaults still store copyable, static credentials, so using them doesn't eliminate the underlying risk, it just centralizes it, creating a single high-value target for attackers. A vault gives a false sense of security while reinforcing the same status quo of shareable, long-lived secrets rather than replacing them. _Teams rethinking secrets management can track alternatives to vault-based credential storage on daily.dev._ ### What is a more secure alternative to static API keys for accessing infrastructure? Identity-based, short-lived certificates are proposed as a more secure alternative because they automatically expire, reducing the attack surface over time, and support fine-grained role-based access control. Companies that adopted certificate-based access reported both improved security and better developer productivity compared to static, password-like credentials. _Engineers evaluating certificate-based access models can compare infrastructure security approaches on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [API Key Security: 7 Enterprise-Proven Methods to Prevent Costly Data Breaches](https://daily.dev/posts/api-key-security-7-enterprise-proven-methods-to-prevent-costly-data-breaches-f1gdbcdrs) · Security Boulevard · 3 upvotes · 0 comments - [10 Security Issues With API Keys](https://daily.dev/posts/10-security-issues-with-api-keys-bsxna1wno) · Nordic APIs · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Passkeys 101: An Introduction to Passkeys and How They Work](https://daily.dev/posts/passkeys-101-an-introduction-to-passkeys-and-how-they-work-58plqhzdl) · Scott Helme · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Passwords are dying – here’s the tech that’s replacing them](https://daily.dev/posts/passwords-are-dying-here-s-the-tech-that-s-replacing-them-3oigsvibi) · TechCentral · 1 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#authentication](https://daily.dev/tags/authentication), [#data-breach](https://daily.dev/tags/data-breach), [#secrets-management](https://daily.dev/tags/secrets-management) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/are-api-keys-passwords-yes-here-s-why-gh8od08an) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Are API Keys Passwords? 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