Secrets Management Comparison
Compare the three main approaches to secrets management and understand which approach is best for your application security needs.
Hardcoded Secrets
Security:
Critical Risk
Setup:
Very Easy
Production:
Never
Shared Config Files
Security:
Moderate Risk
Setup:
Easy
Production:
With Caution
Environment Variables
Security:
High Security
Setup:
Moderate
Production:
Recommended
Detailed Feature Comparison
| Feature | Hardcoded Secrets | Shared Config Files | Environment Variables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secret Visibility | Visible in source code | Hidden from source, visible in files | Completely hidden |
| Version Control Risk | Always committed | Risk if not ignored | Never committed |
| Secret Rotation | Requires code changes | File updates needed | No code changes |
| Environment Separation | Same secrets everywhere | Different files per env | Native env separation |
| Team Access Control | All team members see secrets | File permissions needed | Platform-based access |
| Deployment Complexity | No setup needed | Files must be deployed | Environment setup required |
❌ Never Use
Hardcoded Secrets
- Extremely high security risk
- Permanent exposure in git history
- No way to rotate secrets easily
- All team members see all secrets
✅ Best Practice
Environment Variables
- Industry standard approach
- Platform-native secret management
- Easy secret rotation
- Role-based access control
Migration Path
If you're currently using hardcoded secrets:
Hardcoded
Current State
→
Shared Files
Intermediate Step
→
Environment Variables
Best Practice
💡 Pro Tip:
You can migrate gradually. Start by moving secrets to shared files, then transition to environment variables when you're ready to set up proper secret management infrastructure.
Small Team Prototype
- Start with environment variables and a shared password manager
- Add pre-commit hooks to prevent accidental commits
- Schedule a monthly review as the team grows
Growing SaaS Startup
- Adopt a managed secrets store (AWS SSM, Doppler, 1Password) early
- Automate rotation with CI/CD pipelines
- Introduce role-based access control and onboarding workflows
Enterprise Platform
- Centralise secrets in a dedicated vault with hardware backing
- Integrate secrets governance with compliance tooling
- Implement real-time monitoring and anomaly detection
Migration Checklist
Discovery
- Audit repositories for committed secrets and shared secret files
- Catalogue services depending on existing credentials
- Identify owners and consumers for each secret
Execution
- Remove secrets from version control and rotate them
- Introduce environment variable loading with validation
- Set up CI/CD secrets and block insecure merges
Reinforcement
- Train teams and update documentation
- Add monitoring and alerts for regressions
- Schedule regular audits and tabletop exercises
Workshop Prompts
- Which systems would be impacted if a secret rotated unexpectedly?
- How fast can we revoke access for a departing contractor?
- What evidence would we present during a security audit?
- Where do we store runbooks for incident response?