The disclosed technology for a hardware system to access a secure backend system uses non - volatile memory to hold encrypted secrets , volatile memory to hold decrypted secrets ready for use , a keys - for - all ( K4A ) server , and app servers running K4A clients . To access the backend system in production , each app server uses a decrypted secret and a certificate that identifies the app server and certifies its role and physical and logical location . At initialization of the app server , a K4A client is instantiated that launches and tracks processes , running on the app server , that are authorized to request decryption services . The K4A client responds to a decryption request from an authorized process , determined based on tracking of processes launched , by requesting decryption by a K4A server , using the certificate , and returns to the process , in volatile memory , a decrypted secret or a reference to the decrypted secret , decrypted by the K4A server