A company needs to programmatically manage an API key to call a third-party HTTP API from its application. Integration with the application code must not negatively affect performance. Which option stores and provides the API key MOST securely?

Storing the API key in AWS Secrets Manager and retrieving it at runtime using the AWS SDK is the most secure and performant option. Secrets Manager is designed specifically for securely storing and rotating sensitive credentials like API keys, database credentials, and other secrets. The AWS SDK provides efficient and secure methods for retrieving these secrets, ensuring they are not hardcoded or exposed in less secure locations. Embedding the API key in application code, even in a secure Git repository, is a security anti-pattern as it risks exposure if the repository is compromised or accessed improperly. Storing the key in a private S3 bucket or a DynamoDB table, while offering some access control, is not their primary purpose and lacks the specialized security features (like automatic rotation and fine-grained access policies) that Secrets Manager provides for credential management.