Secrets File

With respect to the secrets file, which I am just now getting around to, are there any strategies to protecting that file itself? Also, can I put that file in its own folder?

It looks like, according to the documentation, HA will make a search for it from the parent directory level but stops at the configuration directory. If I am reading that correctly, then there is no possibility of storing the secrets file or folder outside of the HA configuration directory, correct?

Lastly, I don’t know how to make symlinks, but I can learn. If I do, can the secrets file be symlinked to? Can I, say, put the secrets file in its own folder within the configuration directory and just symlink to it so I have only the one file to keep up-to-date?

Anyway, just trying to make sure that I do what I can to keep the information relatively safe.

Or use a keyring. I guess that a symlink will work.

is it possible to use !secret for Mac addresses? What would be the sintax: put the ’ or not?