Never Hardcode Secrets
Passwords, API keys, and certificates must never be stored in plaintext or Git.
Why Env Vars are risky:
- They can be printed in logs.
- They are visible to child processes.
The DevSecOps way:
Use tools like HashiCorp Vault or platform-specific Secret Managers. For this course, we will use encrypted Bash variables and .env files protected by strict permissions.