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What makes hard-coded secrets in source code more dangerous than other security vulnerabilities?
They require advanced technical skills to exploit.
They provide immediate and unrestricted access to protected resources without requiring attackers to bypass security measures.
They only affect development environments, not production systems.
What is the most secure response when a secret is discovered in source code?
Remove the secret from the current code but leave it in Git history.
Immediately revoke the exposed credential, generate a new one, remove it from code and Git history, and update all applications using it.
Add comments warning developers not to use the exposed credential.
How does GitHub Secret Scanning detect credentials in repositories?
GitHub Secret Scanning manually reviews code during pull request reviews.
GitHub Secret Scanning analyzes files against known secret patterns using regular expressions and validating detected patterns with service providers.
GitHub Secret Scanning scans only new commits and ignores repository history.
What is the primary difference between GitHub Secret Scanning and push protection?
Secret scanning detects credentials already in the repository, while push protection prevents secrets from entering the repository.
Secret scanning works only on public repositories, while push protection works only on private repositories.
Push protection only detects API keys, while secret scanning detects all credential types.
When push protection blocks a push, what is the recommended course of action?
To proceed quickly, request a bypass with a brief justification.
Remove the secret from commits locally, implement secure storage, and push again.
Delete the entire repository and start over.
What is the primary purpose of using GitHub Copilot's Ask mode when analyzing secret scanning alerts?
To automatically fix all security issues without developer intervention.
To understand why alerts were triggered, assess security implications, and plan remediation strategies before making code changes.
To generate new credentials to replace exposed ones.
When using GitHub Copilot's Ask mode to analyze an exposed secret, which prompt approach is most effective?
Asking general questions without selecting any code or providing context.
Selecting the code containing the secret and asking specific questions about the credential type, risk, and remediation options.
Only asking about unrelated code to avoid exposing the secret to the AI.
What is the key difference between GitHub Copilot's Ask mode and Agent mode for secret remediation?
Ask mode provides analysis and suggestions without modifying code, while Agent mode implements changes directly in code files.
Ask mode works only with C# code, while Agent mode supports all programming languages.
Agent mode can only remove secrets, while Ask mode can implement secure storage patterns.
When using GitHub Copilot's Agent mode to remediate secrets, what type of prompt produces the best results?
Vague requests like 'fix this security issue' without specifics.
Specific, actionable prompts that describe the desired remediation, such as 'Remove the hard-coded Stripe API key and replace it with environment variable access.'
Multiple conflicting instructions in a single prompt.
According to the remediation workflow, when should a developer rotate exposed credentials?
To avoid disrupting development, rotate exposed credentials after completing code updates and testing the application.
Immediately as the first step, before making any code changes, to invalidate the exposed credential.
Only if the credential is marked as 'Valid' in the GitHub Security tab.
Why should a developer use GitHub Copilot's Ask mode before using Agent mode for secret remediation?
Ask mode is faster and can complete the remediation without Agent mode.
To understand the scope of the exposure, analyze dependencies, and formulate a comprehensive remediation plan before making changes.
Ask mode is required for authentication before Agent mode will function.
What is the purpose of removing secrets from Git history as part of the remediation workflow?
To improve repository performance by reducing file sizes.
To ensure the credential is eliminated from the repository, as it remains accessible in historical commits even after removal from current code.
To automatically revoke the exposed credential on the service provider's platform.
You must answer all questions before checking your work.
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