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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Use GitHub’s security features together: secret scanning looks for exposed credentials, code scanning checks source code for vulnerabilities and errors, and Dependabot alerts identify known vulnerabilities in dependencies. They cover different risks, so enabling one does not replace the others. What you can enable depends on repository visibility and the account’s plan or security products.
What each GitHub security check scans
| Check | What it looks for | Typical result |
|---|---|---|
| Secret scanning | Exposed credentials, such as API keys and tokens | Repository alert; for partner secrets, GitHub may notify the provider |
| Push protection | Supported secrets in a push | Blocks the push to help prevent the secret from being introduced |
| Code scanning, including CodeQL | Vulnerabilities and errors in source code | Code scanning alerts; setup can be automatic or use an editable workflow |
| Dependency graph and Dependabot | Dependencies identified from manifests and lock files, and known vulnerabilities in those dependencies | Dependabot alerts; security update pull requests can be enabled |
These are separate checks, not interchangeable names for one scan. A code scan does not find every leaked credential or replace dependency alerts. GitHub’s repository security quickstart and security settings documentation describe their distinct roles.
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Check whether the repository is eligible
Before looking for a particular switch, check GitHub’s current availability guidance. Some features are available on all plans, while some private-repository features require an organization plan with GitHub Code Security or GitHub Advanced Security. Public repositories generally have broader availability, but do not assume every feature is enabled for every repository. Consult GitHub’s quickstart and security settings guide for the repository and account in question; interface labels and eligibility can change.
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Enable dependency and vulnerability checks
- Open the repository’s security settings. In the repository, open Settings and locate its security and analysis options. If the labels or layout differ, use GitHub’s security settings instructions.
- Enable the dependency graph. GitHub uses manifest and lock files to identify dependencies. The graph is the basis for finding known vulnerabilities in recognized dependencies.
- Enable Dependabot alerts. GitHub can alert you when a dependency in the graph is identified as vulnerable. If available and useful for the repository, enable Dependabot security updates so GitHub can propose security update pull requests.
An alert is about a vulnerable package GitHub recognizes in the dependency graph; it is not a scan for every possible flaw in your own source code.
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Enable code scanning with CodeQL
- Choose Code scanning in the repository’s security settings. If offered and eligible, select CodeQL default setup for a GitHub-hosted configuration.
- Review the detected configuration. GitHub says default setup determines languages, query suites, and scan events based on the repository. Check that the configuration matches the code you want covered.
- Use advanced setup when you need control. Advanced setup provides an editable workflow. A third-party scanner can also integrate with GitHub code scanning.
- Review the resulting alerts. GitHub’s quickstart explains the available setup paths.
Code scanning is intended to identify vulnerabilities and errors in repository code. It complements, rather than replaces, secret scanning and dependency alerts.
Enable secret scanning and push protection
- Find secret protection in repository security settings. Enable secret scanning if the repository and account are eligible.
- Enable push protection if available. It can block pushes containing supported secrets, helping stop a credential from entering the repository in the first place.
- Review alerts when a secret is detected. GitHub’s secret scanning documentation describes alerts, provider notifications, and scope limitations.
Coverage is not unlimited. For some paired patterns, GitHub requires the ID and secret to appear in the same file and both to be pushed before it can detect the pair. Secret scanning therefore cannot establish that no credential has ever been exposed.
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Review alerts and respond safely
Security alerts are available in the repository’s Security and quality area. For a detected credential, treat it as compromised: use the credential provider’s process to revoke or rotate it, then investigate where it was used. GitHub may notify a provider for partner secrets, but do not rely on that notification as your response plan.
- Do not paste the detected value into an issue, pull request comment, or log while discussing the alert.
- For a Dependabot alert, review the affected dependency and the proposed security update, then test the change before merging.
- For a code scanning alert, inspect the finding in context and address or triage it through your normal review process.
What a clean scan does—and does not—mean
A clean result means these configured checks did not report a finding within their coverage at that time. It is not proof that the repository is vulnerability-free: the checks have different scopes, rely on recognized patterns or dependencies, and may be unavailable or configured differently across repositories. Keep the checks enabled as code and dependencies change, and review new alerts rather than treating one scan as a permanent clearance.
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GitHub’s code security documentation links to current setup guidance for repository security features.
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