Managing Secrets in Trino

Managing secrets in Trino is crucial for maintaining security and preventing sensitive data exposure, particularly as configuration files, often stored in source control systems, can unintentionally reveal information such as usernames and passwords. To mitigate risks, Trino supports using environment variables as configuration property values, allowing sensitive information to be managed securely without being stored in plaintext. When installing Trino, environment variables can be defined in a CONFIG_ENV file, typically set by a startup script, ensuring secure configuration during service start-up. External secret management tools like Google’s Secret Manager, AWS Secrets Manager, and Hashicorp Vault can be integrated to retrieve secrets securely. For instance, secrets stored in AWS Secrets Manager can be accessed via the AWS Console or CLI and included in Trino’s configuration through environment variables set in the /etc/trino/env.sh file. Additionally, Kubernetes can use secrets as environment variables, and Starburst’s helm charts support referencing external secrets, thus enhancing security and reducing the risk of data breaches.