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+# Secret Scanning Documentation
+
+## Overview
+
+This repository uses [Gitleaks](https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks) to automatically detect hardcoded secrets, credentials, and other sensitive information in the codebase. The secret scanning workflow runs on every push and pull request to prevent accidental exposure of sensitive data.
+
+## Detected Secret Types
+
+Gitleaks scans for a wide variety of secret types across all file formats, including:
+
+### Cloud Provider Credentials
+- AWS Access Keys, Secret Keys, and Session Tokens
+- Azure Storage Keys, Client Secrets, and Tenant IDs
+- Google Cloud API Keys and Service Account Credentials
+- DigitalOcean Personal Access Tokens
+
+### Version Control & CI/CD
+- GitHub Personal Access Tokens, OAuth Tokens, and App Tokens
+- GitLab Personal Access Tokens and Pipeline Triggers
+- Bitbucket App Passwords and Access Tokens
+
+### Communication & Collaboration
+- Slack Webhooks and API Tokens
+- Discord Webhooks and Bot Tokens
+- Microsoft Teams Webhooks
+
+### Databases & Services
+- Database Connection Strings (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB)
+- Redis Passwords
+- JDBC Connection URLs with embedded credentials
+
+### API Keys & Tokens
+- Generic API Keys and Secret Keys
+- JWT Tokens with high entropy
+- OAuth Client IDs and Secrets
+
+### Cryptographic Material
+- RSA Private Keys
+- SSH Private Keys
+- PGP Private Keys
+- SSL/TLS Certificates and Private Keys
+
+### Application-Specific
+- Stripe API Keys
+- SendGrid API Keys
+- Twilio Auth Tokens
+- Mailgun API Keys
+- Passwords and secrets in configuration files (YAML, JSON, .env, etc.)
+
+## Trigger Conditions
+
+The secret scanning workflow is triggered automatically on:
+
+1. **Push Events**: Any push to any branch
+2. **Pull Request Events**: Any pull request targeting any branch
+
+The workflow runs with read-only permissions (`contents: read`) following the least-privilege principle.
+
+## Workflow Behavior
+
+When secrets are detected:
+- ✗ The workflow **fails** the build
+- ✗ The commit or pull request is **blocked**
+- ℹ️ Details about detected secrets are shown in the workflow logs
+
+When no secrets are detected:
+- ✓ The workflow **passes**
+- ✓ The commit or pull request can proceed
+
+## Remediation Steps
+
+If the workflow detects a secret, follow these steps:
+
+### 1. Verify the Detection
+
+Review the workflow logs to understand what was detected:
+```bash
+# In GitHub Actions, navigate to:
+# Actions → Secret Scanning → [Failed Run] → Gitleaks Secret Scan
+```
+
+### 2. Determine if It's a Real Secret
+
+**If it's a real secret:**
+1. **Immediately rotate the credential** on the provider's platform
+2. Remove the secret from your code
+3. Never commit secrets again - use environment variables or secret management tools
+
+**If it's a false positive:**
+1. Proceed to add it to the allowlist (see below)
+
+### 3. Remove the Secret from Code
+
+For real secrets, replace them with environment variables or secret management:
+
+**Before:**
+```python
+API_KEY = "sk_live_1234567890abcdef"
+```
+
+**After:**
+```python
+import os
+API_KEY = os.environ.get("API_KEY")
+```
+
+**In GitHub Actions:**
+```yaml
+env:
+  API_KEY: ${{ secrets.API_KEY }}
+```
+
+### 4. Remove from Git History
+
+If the secret was already committed:
+
+```bash
+# For the most recent commit
+git reset --soft HEAD~1
+# Make corrections
+git add .
+git commit -m "Remove exposed secret"
+
+# For older commits, consider using git-filter-repo or BFG Repo-Cleaner
+# https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/removing-sensitive-data-from-a-repository
+```
+
+⚠️ **Important:** After removing a secret from git history, **you must rotate it** because it may still be accessible in previous commits.
+
+### 5. Managing False Positives
+
+If Gitleaks incorrectly flags something as a secret, add it to the allowlist in `.gitleaks.toml`:
+
+**By Path:**
+```toml
+[allowlist]
+paths = [
+  '''tests/fixtures/mock_credentials.py''',
+  '''examples/sample_config.yaml'''
+]
+```
+
+**By Regex Pattern:**
+```toml
+[allowlist]
+regexes = [
+  '''example-key-12345''',
+  '''test-token-abc'''
+]
+```
+
+**By Commit:**
+```toml
+[allowlist]
+commits = [
+  '''a1b2c3d4e5f6'''
+]
+```
+
+**By Stopword:**
+```toml
+[allowlist]
+stopwords = [
+  '''placeholder''',
+  '''example'''
+]
+```
+
+After updating `.gitleaks.toml`, commit the changes and re-run the workflow.
+
+## Local Testing
+
+Test for secrets locally before pushing to avoid CI failures:
+
+### Install Gitleaks
+
+**macOS:**
+```bash
+brew install gitleaks
+```
+
+**Linux:**
+```bash
+# Download latest release (replace vX.Y.Z with current version from releases page)
+# Visit https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases for the latest version
+wget https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks/releases/download/vX.Y.Z/gitleaks_X.Y.Z_linux_x64.tar.gz
+tar -xzf gitleaks_X.Y.Z_linux_x64.tar.gz
+sudo mv gitleaks /usr/local/bin/
+```
+
+**Windows:**
+```powershell
+# Using Chocolatey
+choco install gitleaks
+
+# Or download from GitHub releases
+```
+
+### Run Gitleaks Locally
+
+**Scan uncommitted changes:**
+```bash
+gitleaks detect --source . --verbose
+```
+
+**Scan entire repository:**
+```bash
+gitleaks detect --source . --log-opts="--all" --verbose
+```
+
+**Scan with configuration file:**
+```bash
+gitleaks detect --source . --config .gitleaks.toml --verbose
+```
+
+**Scan a specific commit range:**
+```bash
+gitleaks detect --source . --log-opts="main..feature-branch" --verbose
+```
+
+### Pre-commit Hook (Optional)
+
+Automatically scan for secrets before each commit:
+
+```bash
+# Create pre-commit hook
+cat > .git/hooks/pre-commit << 'EOF'
+#!/bin/sh
+gitleaks protect --verbose --redact --staged
+EOF
+
+# Make it executable
+chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit
+```
+
+## Best Practices
+
+1. **Never commit secrets** - Use environment variables, secret managers (AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault)
+2. **Use `.env` files locally** - Add `.env` to `.gitignore` (already configured in this repo)
+3. **Rotate exposed secrets immediately** - Assume any committed secret is compromised
+4. **Review allowlist regularly** - Ensure false positives haven't become real secrets
+5. **Educate team members** - Share this documentation with all contributors
+6. **Use GitHub Secrets** - For CI/CD workflows, store secrets in GitHub repository settings
+
+## Configuration Files
+
+- **`.github/workflows/secret-scanning.yml`** - GitHub Actions workflow definition
+- **`.gitleaks.toml`** - Gitleaks configuration with allowlist rules
+
+## Resources
+
+- [Gitleaks Documentation](https://github.com/gitleaks/gitleaks)
+- [GitHub Secret Scanning](https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/secret-scanning)
+- [Removing Sensitive Data from Git](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/removing-sensitive-data-from-a-repository)
+- [OWASP Secrets Management Cheat Sheet](https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Secrets_Management_Cheat_Sheet.html)
+
+## Support
+
+For issues or questions about secret scanning:
+1. Check the [workflow logs](../../actions/workflows/secret-scanning.yml) for detailed error messages
+2. Review this documentation for remediation steps
+3. Open an issue in this repository if you need assistance
diff --git a/.github/workflows/secret-scanning.yml b/.github/workflows/secret-scanning.yml
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+name: Secret Scanning
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: ['**']
+  pull_request:
+    branches: ['**']
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  gitleaks:
+    name: Gitleaks Secret Scan
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Run Gitleaks
+        uses: gitleaks/gitleaks-action@v2
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITLEAKS_LICENSE: ${{ secrets.GITLEAKS_LICENSE }}
diff --git a/.gitleaks.toml b/.gitleaks.toml
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+# Gitleaks Configuration File
+# This file extends the default Gitleaks rules with project-specific settings
+
+title = "Gitleaks Configuration for HAL Project"
+
+# Extend default Gitleaks rules
+# The default rules cover:
+# - API keys (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.)
+# - Authentication tokens (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, etc.)
+# - Private keys (RSA, SSH, PGP)
+# - Database credentials
+# - Passwords and secrets in various formats
+
+[extend]
+# Use default Gitleaks rules as base
+useDefault = true
+
+# Allowlist section for managing false positives
+# Add paths, commits, regexes, or stopwords to exclude from scanning
+
+[allowlist]
+# Example: Exclude test files with mock credentials
+# paths = [
+#   '''tests/fixtures/.*''',
+#   '''examples/.*'''
+# ]
+
+# Example: Exclude specific commits (e.g., initial test data setup)
+# commits = [
+#   '''abc123def456'''
+# ]
+
+# Example: Allowlist specific patterns that are false positives
+# regexes = [
+#   '''example-key-not-real'''
+# ]
+
+# Example: Exclude files by extension
+# stopwords = [
+#   '''mock''',
+#   '''test'''
+# ]