Introduction to SharePoint On-Prem
Architecture & Setup
Site Management
Lists & Libraries
Pages & Content
Permissions & Security
Search & Navigation
Automation & Workflows
Integration & Extensibility
Development & Customization
Administration & Governance
Migration
Compliance & Records Management
Secure Store Service
The Secure Store Service is a crucial component of a SharePoint on-premises farm. Its purpose is to securely store and manage credentials, such as usernames and passwords, that are needed to connect to external systems. This service helps a company avoid embedding sensitive login information directly into applications or reports, which is a significant security risk.
What It Does
The Secure Store Service acts as a central vault for all credentials. It encrypts and stores usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information in a dedicated database. For example, if a custom workflow needs to connect to an external SQL database to get customer information, the workflow can use the Secure Store Service to retrieve the login details instead of having the credentials hard coded into the workflow itself. This ensures that the password is never exposed to the end-user or left in an unsecure location.
Target Applications
The core of the Secure Store Service is the concept of a Target Application. A Target Application is an entry within the service that represents a specific external system. Each Target Application has a unique ID and stores a set of credentials. For example, you might create a “Finance-Database” Target Application and store the username and password needed to access it. You can then grant a specific SharePoint group permission to use that Target Application, allowing all members of the group to access the database without ever seeing the password.
How It Improves Security
By using the Secure Store Service, an organization can centralize all its credentials, making them easier to manage and audit. It provides a secure, encrypted way to store sensitive information, which is a key part of maintaining a strong security posture across the SharePoint environment.
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