Regarding Assets in Config file

[PrankurJoshi]

See this

Convert SecureString to String - Get Secured Credential

As Genfour suggested we need to create an activity that returns a string from a SecureString. Until then String plainStr = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(string.Empty, secureStr).Password should work

String To SecureString

SecureString secure_str = new NetworkCredential(String.Empty, yourStringVariable).SecurePassword;

Thanks,
Prankur