Accidentally Shared my Private Key – How to Remedy
When a certificate is no longer safe to use, you should revoke it. This can happen for a few different reasons. For instance, you might accidentally share the private key on a public website; hackers might copy the private key off of your servers; or hackers might take temporary control over your servers or your DNS configuration, and use that to validate and issue a certificate for which they hold the private key.
If you did not originally issue the certificate, but you have a copy of the corresponding private key, you can revoke by using that private key to sign the revocation request. For instance, if you see that a private key has accidentally been made public, you can use this method to revoke certificates that used that private key, even if you are not the person who originally issued those certificates.
The best way to protect your identity, as a certificate holder, is to ensure that only you are using your digital certificate. Allowing others to use your certificate through sharing your password, Smart card or USB token password, or your private key weakens the security of the system and presents a security danger to you. A digital certificate is a credential, just like a driver's license or passport, which you would not allow others to share. Certificate holders found to have shared this confidential information will be notified that their certificates are subject to revocation.
We expect people to share tons of projects as they build CircuitPython WiFi widgets. What we want to avoid is people accidentally sharing their passwords or secret tokens and API keys. So, we designed all our examples to use a secrets.py file, that is in your CIRCUITPY drive, to hold secret/private/custom data. That way you can share your main project without worrying about accidentally sharing private stuff.
The private key signifies proof of your ownership over a wallet address and should NEVER be disclosed, exposed, or shared to anyone whether online or offline as doing so might lead to loss of funds. It should be stored somewhere safe (preferably offline on a piece of paper) where only you would know. Please take note that if a private key is lost, there is no way to either recover it or to regenerate it.
In the unfortunate event of accidentally sharing your private key, it's crucial to act swiftly to mitigate any potential risks. First and foremost, assess the extent of the exposure and identify the platforms or individuals with whom the key was shared. Read Blog here, Seek guidance from cybersecurity experts or forums specialized in cryptographic security for specific remediation steps tailored to your situation. Get Additional reading, Educate yourself on best practices for safeguarding private keys and implement robust security measures moving forward to prevent similar mishaps. Remember to update passwords, enable two-factor authentication where possible, and consider generating a new private key to ensure the integrity of your digital assets.