5 Common Secrets Management Mistakes Developers Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Verizon's 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report reveals that 68% of data breaches involve human error, highlighting the significance of mistakes and accidents in causing such incidents. These errors can be expensive, with ransomware or extortion accounting for 32% of data breaches, often leading to significant costs beyond direct payments. Securing secrets throughout the development cycle is crucial to avoiding data breaches, as close to 40% of breaches involve compromised credentials. Developers should avoid hardcoding secrets and over-provisioning access, while also implementing better lifecycle practices for managing secrets. Regular scans of repositories can help detect unknown vulnerabilities before they lead to breaches. Maintaining a secure development environment requires attention at every step of the process, with education and vigilance among developers being essential in mitigating risks associated with human error.