diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 01c7ecf5..91950cd1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,3 +20,6 @@ old-events/
 polldevs.cf
 zino-state.json
 zino.toml
+
+# avoid accidental commit of the secrets file
+secrets
diff --git a/changelog.d/280.added.md b/changelog.d/280.added.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d05eb031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/280.added.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Log warning if `secrets` file is world-readable
diff --git a/src/zino/utils.py b/src/zino/utils.py
index a841c4fb..66a82e4b 100644
--- a/src/zino/utils.py
+++ b/src/zino/utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import asyncio
 import logging
+import os
+import stat
 from functools import wraps
 from ipaddress import ip_address
 from time import time
@@ -63,3 +65,10 @@ def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
         return wrapper
 
     return actual_decorator
+
+
+def file_is_world_readable(file: str) -> bool:
+    """Returns a boolean value indicating if a file is readable by other users than its owner"""
+    st_mode = getattr(os.stat(path=file), "st_mode", None)
+
+    return bool(st_mode & stat.S_IROTH)
diff --git a/src/zino/zino.py b/src/zino/zino.py
index 444d83d9..e739984b 100644
--- a/src/zino/zino.py
+++ b/src/zino/zino.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     link_traps,
     logged_traps,
 )
+from zino.utils import file_is_world_readable
 
 STATE_DUMP_JOB_ID = "zino.dump_state"
 # Never try to dump state more often than this:
@@ -46,6 +47,17 @@ def main():
     )
     state.config = load_config(args)
     apply_logging_config(state.config.logging)
+
+    try:
+        secrets_file = state.config.authentication.file
+        if file_is_world_readable(secrets_file):
+            _log.warning(
+                f"Secrets file {secrets_file} is world-readable. Please ensure that it is only readable by the user that runs the zino process."
+            )
+    except OSError as e:
+        _log.fatal(e)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     state.state = state.ZinoState.load_state_from_file(state.config.persistence.file) or state.ZinoState()
     init_event_loop(args)
 
diff --git a/tests/utils_test.py b/tests/utils_test.py
index 963d125a..e8acd7de 100644
--- a/tests/utils_test.py
+++ b/tests/utils_test.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import logging
+import os
+import stat
 from ipaddress import IPv4Address, IPv6Address
 from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
 
 import aiodns
 import pytest
 
-from zino.utils import log_time_spent, parse_ip, reverse_dns
+from zino.utils import file_is_world_readable, log_time_spent, parse_ip, reverse_dns
 
 
 class TestParseIP:
@@ -102,3 +104,16 @@ def mock_dnsresolver(monkeypatch) -> AsyncMock:
     mock_dnsresolver = AsyncMock()
     monkeypatch.setattr("zino.utils.aiodns.DNSResolver", lambda loop: mock_dnsresolver)
     return mock_dnsresolver
+
+
+class TestFileIsReadableByOthers:
+    def test_return_true_if_file_is_world_readable(self, secrets_file):
+        assert file_is_world_readable(secrets_file)
+
+    def test_return_if_file_is_only_readable_by_owner(self, tmp_path):
+        name = tmp_path / "owner-secrets"
+        with open(name, "w") as conf:
+            conf.write("""user1 password123""")
+        os.chmod(name, mode=stat.S_IRWXU)
+
+        assert not file_is_world_readable(name)