Secrets Management & Secure Configuration Storage
Learn how to store, rotate, and access secrets safely so misconfiguration never leaks credentials, with patterns for env vars, vaults, and secret scanning.
The Secrets Problem
Hardcoded passwords, API keys, and tokens are one of the most common security misconfigurations. Once a secret lands in source control, it must be considered compromised forever.
This lesson covers how to keep secrets out of code and store configuration safely.
Never Commit Secrets
The first rule: secrets never live in your repository. Use a .gitignore to exclude files like .env, and prefer injected configuration over baked-in values.
- No passwords in source code
- No keys in config files committed to git
- No secrets in container images
All lessons in this course
- Hardening Server & Application Configuration
- Managing Dependencies & Libraries Securely
- Patch Management & Software Updates
- Secrets Management & Secure Configuration Storage