Secure Docker Containers with AWS IAM and AWS Secrets Manager

Abstract: Containerization has become a fundamental approach in modern cloud computing, offering portability, scalability, and operational efficiency for application deployment. However, securing containerized applications remains a critical challenge, particularly when managing sensitive data such as API keys, database credentials, and authentication tokens. This project focuses on implementing robust security practices for Docker containers deployed in cloud environments by integrating AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) and AWS Secrets Manager. IAM is used to enforce fine-grained access control through roles and policies, ensuring that containers operate under the principle of least privilege. AWS Secrets Manager provides a secure mechanism for storing, managing, and dynamically retrieving sensitive credentials without hardcoding them into application code or Docker images. The implementation demonstrates a secure and scalable architecture that eliminates credential exposure risks, enhances compliance with cloud security standards, and improves overall system reliability. Results confirm that the system successfully achieves zero hardcoded credentials, encrypted secret storage, role-based access control, and automatic secret rotation capability, providing a reproducible reference architecture for securing containerized cloud-native applications.

Keywords: Docker, AWS IAM, AWS Secrets Manager, Container Security, DevOps, Cloud Security, Least Privilege, Credential Management.