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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteUse layered checks: scan Git history, add a local pre-commit scanner, and enable GitHub push protection where your account and repository are eligible. If a real credential is already in history, revoke it and remove it from every affected commit; deleting it from the latest file is not enough.
Which checks catch a secret, and when?
No single scan provides a guarantee. The layers below work at different points in a change, and GitHub’s hosted features have eligibility limits.
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| Layer | When and where it works | Coverage and limits |
|---|---|---|
| Local scanner such as Gitleaks | On a developer’s workstation; can be configured as a pre-commit hook. | Gitleaks documents scanning Git repositories and files. A local hook can catch proposed changes early, but it may be bypassed or absent from another developer’s setup. It does not replace central checks. Gitleaks documentation |
| GitHub secret scanning | Hosted repository scanning. | Scans Git history across all branches, not just the latest file snapshot. Detection is pattern-based and is not exhaustive. GitHub Docs: Secret scanning GitHub Docs: Detection scope |
| GitHub push protection | When someone attempts to push to a protected repository. | Can block supported secret patterns before they reach that repository, but only covers a subset of supported patterns. User-level and repository-level protection differ in availability and configuration. GitHub Docs: Push protection |
Build a scanning workflow
1. Scan the repository, including its history
Run a scanner that examines Git history rather than checking only files in the current working tree. GitHub says its secret scanning covers all branches and all history; Gitleaks documents Git-repository scanning. A clean current snapshot does not establish that older commits are clean.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2. Add a local check before committing
Configure a tool such as Gitleaks as a pre-commit hook so developers receive feedback before changes are committed. Treat this as an early warning, not a gate that is guaranteed to run: hooks can be bypassed, and a contributor may not have the hook installed. Keep hosted scanning and push controls in place.
3. Enable GitHub push protection where it applies
Push protection is designed to prevent supported credentials from being pushed to a protected repository. Check both the repository’s eligibility and whether protection is provided through the user-level or repository-level setting; the two have different availability and configuration. GitHub explains how to configure it in its push protection documentation.
4. Add custom patterns when your credentials need them
GitHub supports organization-specific custom patterns, which can extend detection for credential formats not covered by standard patterns. Test a pattern with GitHub’s documented dry-run workflow before enabling it, and assess the potential contributor impact: a pattern that matches ordinary text can produce disruptive false positives. See GitHub’s custom-pattern guidance.
Check whether GitHub’s hosted scanning is available
GitHub’s feature availability depends on repository ownership, hosting context, and plan. The conditions stated in GitHub’s documentation include:
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- Public repositories: secret scanning is automatic and free.
- Organization-owned private and internal repositories: require GitHub Secret Protection on GitHub Team or GitHub Enterprise Cloud.
- User-owned repositories: availability has separate conditions for enterprise-managed users and GitHub Enterprise Server.
Check the current eligibility and enablement details for the specific repository in GitHub’s repository setup guide rather than assuming that a private repository is covered.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand what detection can miss
GitHub describes secret detection as pattern-based, with validation for some patterns. Push protection blocks only a subset of supported secret patterns, so an unsupported credential type or another limitation may allow a secret through. Organization-specific patterns can address some gaps when configured, but neither they nor a local scanner prove that a repository contains no secrets. Use the layers to reduce risk, and treat an actual credential finding as an exposure.
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Respond if a scan finds a real credential
- Revoke the credential with its provider. If the provider’s process calls for rotation before revocation, follow that process. Assume a real secret in Git history is exposed.
- Remove it from every affected commit. A later commit that deletes the line does not remove the credential from earlier history. GitHub’s command-line guide describes amending the latest commit when the secret is there and rewriting earlier affected commits when necessary: removing sensitive data from a repository.
- Coordinate any history rewrite. Rewriting shared history affects collaborators and branches; coordinate the change with everyone working from the affected repository.
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