200-901 Application Deployment and Security Practice Question
Which TWO practices help prevent hardcoded credentials in application code? (Choose TWO.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a secrets management tool like HashiCorp Vault to retrieve credentials at runtime
Using environment variables (from .env or secret managers) and using a dedicated secrets management tool like Vault are best practices. Committing .env files exposes secrets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use a secrets management tool like HashiCorp Vault to retrieve credentials at runtime
Why this is correct
Vault dynamically provides secrets without hardcoding.
- ✗
Share secrets via email and paste them into the code during deployment
Why it's wrong here
This is insecure and error-prone.
- ✓
Store secrets in environment variables from a .env file that is not committed to version control
Why this is correct
Environment variables abstract credentials; .env files should be in .gitignore.
- ✗
Commit a .env file with placeholder values to the repository
Why it's wrong here
Even placeholders can be risky and .env files should not be committed.
- ✗
Embed secrets directly in the source code with comments
Why it's wrong here
Hardcoding secrets is a security risk.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.