From fundamentals to zero-trust architecture. Learn to manage, rotate, and secure API keys, secrets, and credentials through hands-on labs and real-world scenarios.
Follow guided paths from your first API key to enterprise-grade secrets architecture.
What are API keys, how authentication works, best practices every developer needs. The complete foundation for everything that follows.
HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Doppler, environment variables, and CI/CD integration.
Start Path →Key rotation systems, least privilege, audit logging, compliance frameworks.
Start Path →Managing keys for AI agents, MCP servers, automated systems, and multi-agent architectures.
Start Path →Each course includes real-world labs, code samples, and assessments validated by security professionals.
The complete introduction to API keys, authentication methods, and security basics.
Start Course →Pre-commit hooks, .gitignore patterns, git-secrets, and recovering from accidental commits.
Start Course →Install, configure, and operate Vault for secrets management at enterprise scale.
Start Course →Store, rotate, and retrieve secrets programmatically. Lambda integration and cross-account access.
Start Course →Design and implement automated key rotation with zero downtime. Real-world architecture patterns.
Start Course →OAuth flows, JWT tokens, PKCE, service accounts, and when to use each authentication method.
Start Course →API key mismanagement is behind some of the largest breaches in history. The skills gap is real.
Every course, guide, and resource on keys.courses is available at no cost. Our mission is to make API security education accessible to every developer.
We are developing certifications to help you demonstrate your API security skills. These are not yet available, but here is what we are working on.
Demonstrate API key management expertise through practical assessments and real-world scenarios.
Advanced credential security certification covering enterprise patterns and compliance frameworks.
Automated secrets management with Vault, AWS, and CI/CD pipeline integration.
Practical guides, real-world case studies, and expert analysis on API key security.
Step-by-step recovery guide for when secrets end up in your repository history.
When to use JWTs, when to use API keys, and the hybrid patterns that work best.
The 15-point checklist every team should complete before shipping to production.
The dual-key deployment pattern for zero-downtime key rotation at any scale.
A practical decision framework for choosing between IAM roles and API keys on AWS.
Real-world examples of API key leaks and the damage they caused within minutes.
Books, hardware, and services trusted by security professionals to protect credentials and infrastructure.
The definitive guide to finding and exploiting security flaws in web applications. Essential reading for anyone handling API keys.
Get on Amazon →Understand the cryptographic primitives behind key management, token signing, and secure credential storage.
Get on Amazon →Hardware security key for phishing-resistant 2FA. Protect your API dashboards, cloud consoles, and Git accounts.
Get on Amazon →