Secret Management in GitHub Actions

1. Introduction

Secret management is a critical aspect of DevSecOps, especially when using CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions. This lesson covers the essentials of managing secret values securely within GitHub Actions workflows, ensuring that sensitive information remains confidential and secure.

2. Key Concepts

3. Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Secrets

Follow these steps to create and use secrets in GitHub Actions:

1. Navigate to Repository Settings: Go to your GitHub repository and click on Settings.
2. Access Secrets: In the left sidebar, click on Secrets and variables, then select Actions.
3. Add a New Secret: Click on the New repository secret button. Fill in the Name and Value fields, and click Add secret.
4. Use Secrets in Workflows: Reference secrets in your workflow YAML file. For example:

   jobs:
     build:
       runs-on: ubuntu-latest
       steps:
         - name: Check out code
           uses: actions/checkout@v2
         - name: Use secret
           run: echo "My secret is ${{ secrets.MY_SECRET }}"

4. Best Practices

• Always use GitHub Secrets for sensitive data instead of hardcoding them in your workflows.
• Limit the number of secrets and the permissions associated with them.
• Regularly rotate your secrets and update them in GitHub.
• Audit your repositories to ensure no sensitive information is exposed.

5. FAQ