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Secrets

Description

A Secret stores sensitive data such as credentials, tokens, and API keys.

Secrets allow applications to access confidential data securely without embedding it in container images.

Examples of secret data include:

  • database passwords
  • API tokens
  • TLS certificates

Example Secret

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: db-secret
type: Opaque
data:
  password: cGFzc3dvcmQ=

Values must be base64 encoded.

Using Secrets in a Pod 

env:
- name: DB_PASSWORD
  valueFrom:
    secretKeyRef:
      name: db-secret
      key: password

Common Commands

Create secret: 

kubectl apply -f secret.yaml

View secrets: 

kubectl get secrets

Security Considerations

  • restrict access using RBAC
  • avoid committing secrets to version control
  • rotate credentials regularly
  • ConfigMaps
  • Pods