Setting Up Environment Variables in a NestJS Application

Our virtual library currently stores database credentials in plain text, a practice that makes the application susceptible to vulnerabilities. If the code is exposed or leaked, it can lead to unauthorized access and potential data breaches due to the visibility of hard-coded credentials.

Such an approach limits the application’s adaptability across different environments, such as development, staging, and production. A more secure and efficient way to manage these sensitive details is using environment variables.

Environment variables allow for the external configuration of an application, enabling it to access necessary information at runtime without storing sensitive data within the application code. Using environment variables enhances security by safeguarding sensitive information and improves flexibility by facilitating easier management across various environments.