Secrets, API Keys & Credential Hygiene

This lesson introduces secrets management and credential hygiene, two critical foundations of AI security. Learners explore API keys, tokens, passwords, service accounts, and other credentials that enable AI systems to access models, data, cloud services, and external tools. The lesson examines common mistakes such as hardcoding secrets, credential sharing, and excessive permissions, while introducing best practices including secret vaults, rotation, least privilege, and secure storage. Students will learn how poor credential management can create significant security risks and how organizations protect sensitive access mechanisms.