diff --git a/.github/actions/prepare-nuget-deps/action.yml b/.github/actions/prepare-nuget-deps/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cc4479ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/prepare-nuget-deps/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+name: prepare-nuget-deps
+description: Sets up Release NuGet packaging dependencies and decrypts supplied signing key
+
+inputs:
+  encrypted-key-path:
+    description: Path to encrypted signing key, relative to workspace
+    required: true
+  release-key-secret:
+    description: Password for encrypted signing key
+    required: true
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+
+  steps:
+  - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
+    with:
+      dotnet-quality: ga
+      dotnet-version: |
+        3.1
+        10.0.x
+
+  - name: Install Linux dependencies
+    if: runner.os == 'Linux'
+    shell: bash
+    run: |
+      wget https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/o/openssl1.0/libssl1.0.0_1.0.2n-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb
+      sudo dpkg -i libssl1.0.0_1.0.2n-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb
+
+  - name: Prepare secure-file tool
+    shell: bash
+    run: |
+      curl -fL -o "$RUNNER_TEMP/secure-file.zip" https://github.com/appveyor/secure-file/releases/download/1.0.1/secure-file.zip
+      unzip "$RUNNER_TEMP/secure-file.zip" -d "$RUNNER_TEMP/secure-file"
+
+  - name: Decrypt signing key
+    shell: bash
+    env:
+      ENCRYPTED_KEY_PATH: ${{ inputs.encrypted-key-path }}
+      RELEASE_KEY_SECRET: ${{ inputs.release-key-secret }}
+    run: |
+      if [ -z "$RELEASE_KEY_SECRET" ]; then
+        echo "::error::RELEASE_KEY_SECRET is required."
+        exit 1
+      fi
+      dotnet "$RUNNER_TEMP/secure-file/secure-file.dll" -decrypt "$ENCRYPTED_KEY_PATH" -secret "$RELEASE_KEY_SECRET"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 57503eb1..5335035f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ concurrency:
   group: ${{github.workflow}}-${{github.event.pull_request.number || github.sha}}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
+permissions: {}
+
 on:
   push:
     branches-ignore:
@@ -24,6 +26,8 @@ jobs:
 
   lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
 
     steps:
     - run: git config --global core.autocrlf true
@@ -40,6 +44,8 @@ jobs:
 
   test-js:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
 
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
@@ -76,6 +82,8 @@ jobs:
 
   test-dotnet:
     runs-on: windows-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -92,47 +100,50 @@ jobs:
 
   release-packages:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
 
     env:
-      RELEASE_KEY_SECRET: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET }}
       DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT: 1
+      BUILD_CONFIGURATION: ${{ (github.repository == 'DevExpress/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data' && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == format('refs/heads/{0}', github.event.repository.default_branch)) && 'Release' || 'Debug' }}
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
-      with:
-        dotnet-quality: ga
-        dotnet-version: |
-          3.1
-          10.0
-
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-    - if: ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET != '' }}
-      run: |
-        wget https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/o/openssl1.0/libssl1.0.0_1.0.2n-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb
-        sudo dpkg -i libssl1.0.0_1.0.2n-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb
-        curl -L -o /opt/secure-file.zip https://github.com/appveyor/secure-file/releases/download/1.0.1/secure-file.zip
-        unzip /opt/secure-file.zip -d /opt/secure-file
-        dotnet /opt/secure-file/secure-file.dll -decrypt net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/release.snk.enc -secret ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET }}
-
     - run: node build/make-nojquery
     - run: node build/replace-meta "${{ github.run_number }}" "${{ github.ref }}" "${{ github.repository }}"
 
     - run: npm pack
     - run: npm pack ./js-nojquery
 
-    - if: ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET != '' }}
-      run: dotnet pack net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data --configuration=Release --include-symbols
+    - name: Prepare NuGet deps
+      if: env.BUILD_CONFIGURATION == 'Release'
+      uses: ./.github/actions/prepare-nuget-deps
+      with:
+        encrypted-key-path: net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/release.snk.enc
+        release-key-secret: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET }}
+
+    - name: Pack NuGet package
+      run: dotnet pack net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data -c ${{ env.BUILD_CONFIGURATION }} --include-symbols
+
+    - name: Remove signing key
+      if: always()
+      shell: bash
+      run: rm -f net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/release.snk
 
     - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: release-packages
         path: |
-          net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/bin/Release/*.nupkg
+          net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/bin/${{ env.BUILD_CONFIGURATION }}/*.nupkg
           devextreme-aspnet-data-*.tgz
+        retention-days: 14
+        if-no-files-found: error
 
   docfx:
     runs-on: windows-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 5d847154..1c0fcbcb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@ on:
         type: boolean
         default: false
 
-permissions:
-  contents: read
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+permissions: {}
 
 env:
   NPM_CONFIG_AUDIT: "false"
@@ -20,35 +23,25 @@ env:
 jobs:
 
   pack:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    if: github.repository == 'DevExpress/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data' && github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    environment: nuget
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
 
     env:
-      RELEASE_KEY_SECRET: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET }}
       DOTNET_SYSTEM_GLOBALIZATION_INVARIANT: 1
+      BUILD_CONFIGURATION: Release
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       with:
-        dotnet-quality: ga
-        dotnet-version: |
-          3.1
-          8.0
+        persist-credentials: false
 
     - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
       with:
         node-version: '24'
 
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-    - name: Decrypt signing key
-      if: ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET != '' }}
-      run: |
-        wget https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/o/openssl1.0/libssl1.0.0_1.0.2n-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb
-        sudo dpkg -i libssl1.0.0_1.0.2n-1ubuntu5_amd64.deb
-        curl -L -o /opt/secure-file.zip https://github.com/appveyor/secure-file/releases/download/1.0.1/secure-file.zip
-        unzip /opt/secure-file.zip -d /opt/secure-file
-        dotnet /opt/secure-file/secure-file.dll -decrypt net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/release.snk.enc -secret ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET }}
-
     - name: Build no-jquery package
       run: node build/make-nojquery
 
@@ -60,27 +53,40 @@ jobs:
         npm pack
         npm pack ./js-nojquery
 
+    - name: Prepare NuGet deps
+      uses: ./.github/actions/prepare-nuget-deps
+      with:
+        encrypted-key-path: net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/release.snk.enc
+        release-key-secret: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET }}
+
     - name: Pack NuGet package
-      if: ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET != '' }}
-      run: dotnet pack net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data --configuration=Release --include-symbols
+      run: dotnet pack net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data -c ${{ env.BUILD_CONFIGURATION }} --include-symbols
 
-    - name: Upload NuGet packages as artifacts
-      if: ${{ env.RELEASE_KEY_SECRET != '' }}
-      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
-      with:
-        name: nuget-packages
-        path: net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/bin/Release/*.nupkg
+    - name: Remove signing key
+      if: always()
+      shell: bash
+      run: rm -f net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/release.snk
 
     - name: Upload npm packages as artifacts
       uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       with:
         name: npm-packages
         path: devextreme-aspnet-data-*.tgz
+        retention-days: 7
+        if-no-files-found: error
+
+    - name: Upload NuGet packages as artifacts
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: nuget-packages
+        path: net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/bin/${{ env.BUILD_CONFIGURATION }}/*.nupkg
+        retention-days: 7
+        if-no-files-found: error
 
   publish:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     needs: pack
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    if: github.repository == 'DevExpress/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data' && github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
     environment: npmjs
     permissions:
       contents: read
diff --git a/docs/using-ci-builds.md b/docs/using-ci-builds.md
index b7234105..43cfe46d 100644
--- a/docs/using-ci-builds.md
+++ b/docs/using-ci-builds.md
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 # Using CI Builds
 
-You can download automated build artifacts [here](https://github.com/DevExpress/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/actions/workflows/ci.yml?query=branch%3Amaster). Please note that you need to be signed in to GitHub.
+You can download automated build artifacts [here](https://github.com/DevExpress/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/actions/workflows/ci.yml?query=branch%3Amaster+event%3Apush). Please note that you need to be signed in to GitHub.
 
 - Click the most recent successful workflow run result. 
-- At the bottom of the opened page, download the `release-packages` archive.
+- At the bottom of the opened page, download the `release-packages` archive for npm packages and the NuGet package and symbols.
+
+The `release-packages` archive from an upstream default-branch push contains the following files:
 
-It contains the following files:
 - `net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/bin/Release/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data.99.0.0-ci-NNN.nupkg`
+- `net/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data/bin/Release/DevExtreme.AspNet.Data.99.0.0-ci-NNN.symbols.nupkg`
 - `devextreme-aspnet-data-99.0.0-ci-NNN.tgz`
 - `devextreme-aspnet-data-nojquery-99.0.0-ci-NNN.tgz`