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Using Secrets in Kubernetes is the optimal choice for storing sensitive information, such as passwords, OAuth tokens, and SSH keys. Secrets provide an additional layer of security because they allow this sensitive data to be stored in a way that is decoupled from your application code and configuration files.

Kubernetes Secrets are stored in an encoded format, making them less readable than plain text. They are designed to hold sensitive data and can be accessed by pods in a controlled manner, ensuring that only authorized applications can retrieve and use that information. This helps ensure that sensitive credentials are not exposed in logs or configuration files, enhancing security.

Other potential sources for sensitive information, such as a cluster data store or public repositories, do not provide adequate security measures and might expose sensitive data to anyone who has access to those resources. Configuration files, while customizable and easy to use, can inadvertently lead to leaking sensitive information, as they may be stored in source control without proper safeguards. This makes Secrets the best practice for handling sensitive data in a Kubernetes environment.