Reflection: CI Authentication Token Rotation and Credential Hygiene (Slot 3)

Context#

A small but security-relevant change was made around CI authentication tokens. The available Git evidence shows a single tracked configuration update that replaces and adds token-related entries (a net-neutral change in line count), alongside the presence of newly generated local credential material that is not yet committed.

What Changed#

• The CI authentication token configuration was updated (3 insertions and 3 deletions), consistent with token rotation or swapping out existing credentials without changing the overall structure.
• A new, untracked credential artifact appeared in the working directory, indicating fresh credentials were produced or retrieved during CI/debugging work.

Why It Matters#

• Token rotation reduces blast radius: Regularly rotating CI credentials limits exposure if a token is leaked, logged, or otherwise compromised.
• Least-privilege enforcement: Updating token definitions is often paired with scoping tokens to only the minimal permissions CI needs, helping prevent lateral movement from CI into broader systems.
• Repository hygiene: The presence of untracked credential material is a reminder that secret-like artifacts can easily be generated during operations work and must be handled carefully to avoid accidental commits.

Outcome / Impact#

• CI token configuration is now aligned with a new set of credentials (rotated/updated).
• The working tree currently includes untracked credential-related material; this should remain out of version control and be managed via approved secret storage mechanisms.

Follow-ups (Recommended)#

• Confirm the rotated tokens are active and the retired tokens are revoked.
• Ensure secret-scanning and ignore rules cover common credential artifact patterns so generated credentials cannot be accidentally committed.
• Validate CI jobs that depend on these tokens to ensure there is no downtime or unexpected permission regression.

Notes on Evidence Coverage#

No additional functional code changes for this slot are evidenced beyond the CI token configuration adjustment; other observed activity in the repository history is dominated by knowledge-pack/index resharding and content evolution, which is not directly tied to this CI credential hygiene update.