Question

Should the logtail token be treated as a secret?

Posted on September 8, 2024
Logging App Platform Secrets
Asked by Ben Ramsey

When I connect Logtail to an application in the App Platform, it adds the following to my App Spec:

  log_destinations:
  - logtail:
      token: XXXXXXXXXX
    name: syslogs

The token is in clear text, unlike encrypted environment variables.

Can I include this in a public project that’s shared with others, or is this token supposed to be considered secret?

If it’s supposed to be secret, is there a way to encrypt it so I can include my App Spec in a public repository?

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Bobby Iliev

Site Moderator

• September 12, 2024

Hey Ben,

That’s a great question, and it’s good that you’re thinking about security in your App Spec files.

From what I’ve gathered, the Logtail token should indeed be treated as a secret. While it’s currently displayed in clear text within the App Spec, it’s important to avoid sharing this token publicly, such as in a public repository. Exposing this token could potentially allow unauthorized access to your log data.

I’ve reached out to the team at DigitalOcean and shared your feedback.

However, for the time being, it’s best to keep that token private and avoid including it in any publicly shared files.

If you need to share your App Spec in a public project, I would recommend using a placeholder for the token and providing the actual token through a more secure channel, such as a private environment variable or a secrets management tool.

It looks like someone has had the same idea before and has posted it on the DigitalOcean Product Ideas board. The best thing to do would be to head over and add your vote to it, as well as adding any additional information in the comments for exactly what you’d like to see implemented!