How to keep docker secrets secure: Complete guide

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Secret values such as API keys, passwords, and certificates need to be safely handled throughout the software development process and your app’s runtime. Exposure of secrets can be catastrophic, as unauthorized actors could use the credentials to perform privileged interactions with your services. By James Walker.

Secrets are often encountered when you’re working with Docker containers. It can be challenging to correctly handle container secrets because Docker historically lacked a built-in secrets management system. In this article, you’ll learn how to securely use secrets when you’re building Docker images and starting containers.

Article will cover:

  • Why you need Docker secrets management
  • Using secrets in Docker
  • Using secrets with Docker Compose
  • Using Docker Swarm secrets
  • Dockerfile secrets when you’re building images
  • Best practices for Docker secrets

Secrets are sensitive values such as API tokens and passwords that your application requires. Losing a secret usually empowers bad actors by providing privileged access to your services, making it essential to apply proper treatment to their storage and retrieval. Secrets mustn’t be hardcoded or stored in plaintext as this expands their audience and makes them difficult to rotate. Good read!

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Tags docker infosec cloud containers devops