Sops is a secrets encryption tool designed to encrypt and decrypt sensitive values within configuration files. It functions as a manager for secrets that integrates with cloud key vaults and PGP keys to secure data stored in version-controlled files.
The tool utilizes structure-preserving encryption to encrypt individual values while keeping the overall file format and non-sensitive keys intact. It employs a KMS-backed encryption model, interfacing with external key management services from AWS, GCP, and Azure to handle cryptographic operations without exposing private keys locally.
The project covers secret configuration management for GitOps workflows and automated secrets deployment within CI/CD pipelines. It provides a framework for metadata-driven decryption and symmetric-key envelope encryption through pluggable cryptographic backends.