Agent skill
exa-security-basics
Apply Exa security best practices for secrets and access control. Use when securing API keys, implementing least privilege access, or auditing Exa security configuration. Trigger with phrases like "exa security", "exa secrets", "secure exa", "exa API key security".
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Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/data/exa-security-basics
SKILL.md
Exa Security Basics
Overview
Security best practices for Exa API keys, tokens, and access control.
Prerequisites
- Exa SDK installed
- Understanding of environment variables
- Access to Exa dashboard
Instructions
Step 1: Configure Environment Variables
bash
# .env (NEVER commit to git)
EXA_API_KEY=sk_live_***
EXA_SECRET=***
# .gitignore
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local
Step 2: Implement Secret Rotation
bash
# 1. Generate new key in Exa dashboard
# 2. Update environment variable
export EXA_API_KEY="new_key_here"
# 3. Verify new key works
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ${EXA_API_KEY}" \
https://api.exa.com/health
# 4. Revoke old key in dashboard
Step 3: Apply Least Privilege
| Environment | Recommended Scopes |
|---|---|
| Development | read:* |
| Staging | read:*, write:limited |
| Production | Only required scopes |
Output
- Secure API key storage
- Environment-specific access controls
- Audit logging enabled
Error Handling
| Security Issue | Detection | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed API key | Git scanning | Rotate immediately |
| Excessive scopes | Audit logs | Reduce permissions |
| Missing rotation | Key age check | Schedule rotation |
Examples
Service Account Pattern
typescript
const clients = {
reader: new ExaClient({
apiKey: process.env.EXA_READ_KEY,
}),
writer: new ExaClient({
apiKey: process.env.EXA_WRITE_KEY,
}),
};
Webhook Signature Verification
typescript
import crypto from 'crypto';
function verifyWebhookSignature(
payload: string, signature: string, secret: string
): boolean {
const expected = crypto.createHmac('sha256', secret).update(payload).digest('hex');
return crypto.timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(signature), Buffer.from(expected));
}
Security Checklist
- API keys in environment variables
-
.envfiles in.gitignore - Different keys for dev/staging/prod
- Minimal scopes per environment
- Webhook signatures validated
- Audit logging enabled
Audit Logging
typescript
interface AuditEntry {
timestamp: Date;
action: string;
userId: string;
resource: string;
result: 'success' | 'failure';
metadata?: Record<string, any>;
}
async function auditLog(entry: Omit<AuditEntry, 'timestamp'>): Promise<void> {
const log: AuditEntry = { ...entry, timestamp: new Date() };
// Log to Exa analytics
await exaClient.track('audit', log);
// Also log locally for compliance
console.log('[AUDIT]', JSON.stringify(log));
}
// Usage
await auditLog({
action: 'exa.api.call',
userId: currentUser.id,
resource: '/v1/resource',
result: 'success',
});
Resources
Next Steps
For production deployment, see exa-prod-checklist.
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