The Humanitec Operator is a powerful Kubernetes operator that controls deployments made with Humanitec, offering enhanced security scenarios by providing full flexibility in managing secrets and controlling cluster access. It introduces a new deployment model that enables users to manage secrets within their infrastructure, granting them control over storage location and access rights. The operator operates in different modes, including Secrets stored by the customer but can be used outside the customer's network, Secrets stored by the customer that do not leave the customer's network, Self-hosted, and Full SaaS (default). These modes offer increasing levels of control and security, allowing users to select the mode that best aligns with their organization's preferences and security requirements. The operator can be used in conjunction with GitOps deployment approaches, such as ArgoCD or Flux, to execute instructions represented by custom Resources.