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Interview question · Identity, OAuth & Access Control

How does secret scanning work (patterns, entropy, validity checks, push protection), and what should happen when a secret leaks?

Deleting the commit feels like fixing the leak. It isn't: the secret was public the moment it was pushed, and only revoking it ends the exposure.

mediumNewPreparation tags: Microsoft, Google, AmazonUpdated Nov 2026

Deleting the commit feels like fixing the leak. It isn't: the secret was public the moment it was pushed, and only revoking it ends the exposure.

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What would you say before reading the answer?

  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

A company adds secret scanning to its source repositories after an API key was found in a public commit.

  1. Where do secrets leak?
  2. How do scanners find secrets?
  3. What do validity checks add?
  4. What do push protection and partner programmes add?
  5. What should happen when a secret is found?
  6. How would you run secret scanning?

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