Environment Variables and Secrets Quiz

What you'll be asked

1. Which of the following is considered a security best practice when handling sensitive information like API keys or database passwords?
2. In a Linux-based deployment environment, which command is typically used to set an environment variable for the duration of the current shell session?
3. When using a .env file for local development, why is it critical to add this file to your .gitignore?
4. You are deploying a containerized application using Docker. How can you pass an environment variable named 'DB_URL' into the container at runtime?
5. When working with a distributed system, why is it often preferred to use a centralized Secret Management Service (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault) over standard environment variables?

Answers and explanations come after you submit.