Secrets are unavoidable in containerized apps — database passwords, API tokens, private keys — but Docker makes it easy to handle them poorly: baking values into images, committing .env files, or sprinkling credentials into CI logs.
A safer approach starts with separating build-time vs run-time secrets, minimizing where secrets can be persisted (image layers, metadata, state), and using purpose-built mechanisms that scope access to only the containers that need it.
In the full guide, we cover:
- What counts as a Docker “secret” and the most common ways they get exposed
- Safer alternatives to environment variables and hardcoded values
- How Docker secrets work (and what encryption/visibility guarantees you do—or don’t—get)
- Practical workflows for builds vs runtime, including common CI/CD pitfalls
- When you should reach for an external secrets manager instead of Docker-native options
➡️ Read the full article on our blog:
https://spacelift.io/blog/docker-secrets
Top comments (0)