| name | posthog-security-basics |
| description | Apply PostHog security best practices for secrets and access control.
Use when securing API keys, implementing least privilege access,
or auditing PostHog security configuration.
Trigger with phrases like "posthog security", "posthog secrets",
"secure posthog", "posthog API key security".
|
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Grep |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| license | MIT |
| author | Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io> |
PostHog Security Basics
Overview
Security best practices for PostHog API keys, tokens, and access control.
Prerequisites
- PostHog SDK installed
- Understanding of environment variables
- Access to PostHog dashboard
Instructions
Step 1: Configure Environment Variables
# .env (NEVER commit to git)
POSTHOG_API_KEY=sk_live_***
POSTHOG_SECRET=***
# .gitignore
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local
Step 2: Implement Secret Rotation
# 1. Generate new key in PostHog dashboard
# 2. Update environment variable
export POSTHOG_API_KEY="new_key_here"
# 3. Verify new key works
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ${POSTHOG_API_KEY}" \
https://api.posthog.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
const clients = {
reader: new PostHogClient({
apiKey: process.env.POSTHOG_READ_KEY,
}),
writer: new PostHogClient({
apiKey: process.env.POSTHOG_WRITE_KEY,
}),
};
Webhook Signature Verification
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
Audit Logging
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 PostHog analytics
await posthogClient.track('audit', log);
// Also log locally for compliance
console.log('[AUDIT]', JSON.stringify(log));
}
// Usage
await auditLog({
action: 'posthog.api.call',
userId: currentUser.id,
resource: '/v1/resource',
result: 'success',
});
Resources
Next Steps
For production deployment, see posthog-prod-checklist.