# azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet

A skill for managing Azure Key Vault and Managed HSM keys from .NET: creation, rotation, encryption, signing. Useful when your agent writes C#.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, GitHub Copilot · 1 install · ★ 3148
- Author: Microsoft
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/HEAD/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-dotnet/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet

## What it does

The skill tells the agent how to use the `Azure.Security.KeyVault.Keys` library. It lays out the client hierarchy: `KeyClient` for key management, `CryptographyClient` for crypto operations, `KeyResolver` for looking up a key by ID. Your agent gets working C# examples — creating RSA, EC and symmetric keys, reading versions, updating properties, deleting with purge, backing up and restoring.

Crypto gets its own section. Encrypt and decrypt with `EncryptionAlgorithm.RsaOaep256`, wrap and unwrap keys, sign and verify. Authentication comes two ways: `DefaultAzureCredential` for local dev and `ClientSecretCredential` for a service principal. In production with `DefaultAzureCredential` you need `AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod`, otherwise the generated code will fail its check. Worth verifying your environment before the first run.

Installation pulls two packages: `Azure.Security.KeyVault.Keys` and `Azure.Identity`, current stable version 4.7.0. `KEY_VAULT_NAME` is required; the full vault URL goes in `AZURE_KEYVAULT_URL`. The skill targets .NET projects whose keys already live in Key Vault or Managed HSM.

## Requirements
- Works with: Azure

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add microsoft/skills --skill azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/

### Codex

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install microsoft/skills azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/microsoft/skills --path .github/plugins/azure-sdk-dotnet/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/HEAD/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-dotnet/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- create an RSA key in Key Vault from C# code
- encrypt and decrypt data through CryptographyClient
- set up key rotation and update key properties
- back up a key and restore it later
- wire up auth with DefaultAzureCredential or a service principal

## Example prompts
- Show me how to create an EC key in Azure Key Vault with the P256 curve using KeyClient
- Write code that encrypts a string with RsaOaep256 and decrypts it back
- How do I back up my-rsa-key and restore it from a file?

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 0444dff47fb66186.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 0444dff47fb66186
````text
---
name: azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet
description: |
  Azure Key Vault Keys SDK for .NET. Client library for managing cryptographic keys in Azure Key Vault and Managed HSM. Use for key creation, rotation, encryption, decryption, signing, and verification. Triggers: "Key Vault keys", "KeyClient", "CryptographyClient", "RSA key", "EC key", "encrypt decrypt .NET", "key rotation", "HSM".
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: Microsoft
  version: "1.0.0"
  package: Azure.Security.KeyVault.Keys
---

# Azure.Security.KeyVault.Keys (.NET)

Client library for managing cryptographic keys in Azure Key Vault and Managed HSM.

## Installation

```bash
dotnet add package Azure.Security.KeyVault.Keys
dotnet add package Azure.Identity
```

**Current Version**: 4.7.0 (stable)

## Environment Variables

```bash
KEY_VAULT_NAME=<your-key-vault-name>  # Required: Key Vault name
AZURE_KEYVAULT_URL=https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net  # Optional: full Key Vault URL
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod  # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production
```

## Client Hierarchy

```
KeyClient (key management)
├── CreateKey / CreateRsaKey / CreateEcKey
├── GetKey / GetKeys
├── UpdateKeyProperties
├── DeleteKey / PurgeDeletedKey
├── BackupKey / RestoreKey
└── GetCryptographyClient() → CryptographyClient

CryptographyClient (cryptographic operations)
├── Encrypt / Decrypt
├── WrapKey / UnwrapKey
├── Sign / Verify
└── SignData / VerifyData

KeyResolver (key resolution)
└── Resolve(keyId) → CryptographyClient
```

## Authentication

### Microsoft Entra Token Credential

```csharp
using Azure.Identity;
using Azure.Security.KeyVault.Keys;

var keyVaultName = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("KEY_VAULT_NAME");
var kvUri = $"https://{keyVaultName}.vault.azure.net";

// Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(
    DefaultAzureCredential.DefaultEnvironmentVariableName
);
// Or use a specific credential directly in production:
// See https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-dotnet#credential-classes
// var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential();
var client = new KeyClient(new Uri(kvUri), credential);
```

### Service Principal

```csharp
var credential = new ClientSecretCredential(
    tenantId: "<tenant-id>",
    clientId: "<client-id>",
    clientSecret: "<client-secret>");

var client = new KeyClient(new Uri(kvUri), credential);
```

## Key Management

### Create Keys

```csharp
// Create RSA key
KeyVaultKey rsaKey = await client.CreateKeyAsync("my-rsa-key", KeyType.Rsa);
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 0444dff47fb66186

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 0444dff47fb66186 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2743 of 12637 bytes. © Microsoft · MIT · https://github.com/microsoft/skills/tree/HEAD/.github/plugins/azure-sdk-dotnet/skills/azure-security-keyvault-keys-dotnet/SKILL.md

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---
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