Kong Gateway's recent 3.0 release has officially endorsed Secrets Management, allowing users to securely manage sensitive information like database passwords and API keys without exposing them to contributors. Previously reliant on Role Based Access Control (RBAC) for limiting access, the new feature enables configuration management without revealing secret values. The supported vaults for Secrets Management include environment variables for open-source users and HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, and Google Cloud Secrets Engine for enterprise users. Kong abstracts these systems using nested keys, permitting secure storage and retrieval of secrets. The documentation tags fields supporting secrets as "referenceable," ensuring users know where vault references can be applied. An example usage involves storing a Redis password in HashiCorp Vault using the Proxy Caching Advanced plugin. The release also includes support for Google Cloud Secrets Engine, catering to GCP users, marking a significant step forward in enhancing data security in Kong Gateway deployments.