I'm curious about the general consensus on whether it's safe to store API keys within scripts in private Git repositories. My team is just starting our automation journey, and we've set up VS Code along with a private Git repo for our scripts. Many of these scripts currently have API secrets from third-party services hardcoded in them. What do others think? Is this considered bad practice, given that the repository isn't public?
5 Answers
You should never put any sensitive information like API keys or passwords into version control. Even if your repo is private, you can't be 100% certain it will stay that way. GitHub has mechanisms to help prevent this, often scanning for sensitive data during the push process. If you accidentally push a key, it’s considered compromised. Always better to use a secrets management tool for this.
Secrets should never be hardcoded. Use something like a configuration file to store your keys, but keep that file out of version control (add to .gitignore). You could also look into using AWS Secrets Manager or HashiCorp Vault for managing your credentials securely, especially if you’re using various cloud services.
This makes sense! I’ve actually seen tutorials on setting up secrets management. Definitely worth implementing from the start.
Look, even if you think your private repo is safe, it's best to treat anything stored in it as potentially public. Always assume anything could leak in some way. Instead of embedding keys, use tools that allow you to manage them securely without ever having to store them in your code directly.
Totally agree, treating everything as if it might go public is a good rule of thumb. It saves you from future headaches!
Ultimately, best practices dictate using a separate file for your API keys (like a .env file) and ensuring that it’s in your .gitignore. This prevents accidental commits while still making it easy to work with during development. When in doubt, consult with your team's security policies, as they may have specific guidelines.
Generally, it's a bad idea to hardcode API keys and secrets directly into your scripts, even in private repositories. It's risky because if something goes wrong or if access is mismanaged, those keys could be exposed. Instead, store them as environment variables or in a secure secrets management system. This way, your secrets are safer and not easily accessible through your code.
But what if your scripts run in environments that don't allow for managing environment variables? It's tricky when using automation tools that may not have the best support for secure storage.
Exactly! It's also important to manage auditing so you know who accessed what. If an employee leaves, tracking which secrets they had access to can be a real pain.