Git Course 0%

Authentication & Security

Two questions this section answers. First, how do you prove to GitLab or GitHub that you are you, in a way that works every day without pain: tokens, SSH keys, and the credential helper that stops you typing either. Second, how do you keep the things that must stay secret out of a system designed to remember everything forever, and what to do on the day one gets in anyway.

None of it is optional knowledge for a non-developer. Tokens expire and break your pushes; a leaked key in a repository is a real incident; and the procedures here are the same whether you write code or documentation.

Before you start: Section 7, especially the authentication quick-start, which got you working. This section explains what you set up and how to manage it.

Lessons in this section

  1. HTTPS vs SSHIntermediate≈ 8 min
  2. SSH keysIntermediate≈ 14 min
  3. Personal access tokens and other tokensIntermediate≈ 14 min
  4. Credential managers and storageIntermediate≈ 9 min
  5. 2FA, SSO, policies, least privilegeIntermediate≈ 8 min
  6. Secrets, .env and .gitignoreIntermediate≈ 9 min
  7. I committed a secret: the procedureIntermediate≈ 12 min
  8. Signed commits (introduction)Intermediate≈ 6 min