Secure Proxy Authentication: Protecting Your Credentials

Securing Proxy Credentials

Your proxy credentials are valuable - protect them properly.

TL;DR: Never hardcode credentials. Use environment variables or secrets managers. Rotate credentials periodically.

Security Best Practices

1. Never Hardcode

Don't put credentials in code:

# BAD
proxy = "http://myuser:mypass@proxy.com:8080"

# GOOD
proxy = f"http://{os.getenv('PROXY_USER')}:{os.getenv('PROXY_PASS')}@proxy.com:8080"

2. Use Environment Variables

• Store in .env files
• Never commit to version control
• Different values per environment

3. Secrets Management

For production:

• AWS Secrets Manager
• HashiCorp Vault
• Azure Key Vault

4. IP Whitelisting

When possible:

• Limits credential exposure
• No credentials in requests
• Tied to specific IPs

5. Regular Rotation

• Change credentials periodically
• After team changes
• After potential exposure

What to Avoid

• Sharing credentials in chat
• Committing to Git
• Logging proxy URLs with credentials
• Using same credentials everywhere

If Compromised

1. Change credentials immediately
2. Review access logs
3. Check for unauthorized usage
4. Rotate all potentially affected systems