Which of the following is NOT considered an example of a secret in Vault?

In the context of HashiCorp Vault, secrets are typically considered sensitive data that need to be protected and managed securely. Tokens, API keys, and passwords fall directly into this category as they represent authentication credentials or authorized access to various services.

Tokens are secret values that provide temporary access to Vault or other services, API keys serve as identifiers and access credentials for APIs, and passwords are used for authenticating users into systems. All of these are confidential and should be treated as secrets.

Public certificates, on the other hand, do not fall into the same category as they are generally meant to be shared and are not sensitive in nature. Unlike private keys or confidential information, public certificates are intended to be distributed freely for purposes such as encrypting communications or verifying identities in a digital format. Therefore, they are not considered secrets within Vault.

This distinction is important for users and administrators of Vault to manage and secure their sensitive data effectively. Understanding what constitutes a secret ensures that appropriate safeguarding measures are applied only to information that requires it.