Cursor vs Windsurf Security
Cursor and Windsurf are both AI-powered IDEs built on VS Code, representing the cutting edge of AI-assisted development. While they share similar foundations, their approaches to security, privacy, and AI agent capabilities differ in important ways. Understanding these differences is crucial when working with sensitive codebases or in regulated industries.
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The Verdict
Both Cursor and Windsurf are capable AI coding assistants with similar security profiles at the core. Cursor has more established enterprise features with SOC 2 certification and granular privacy controls. Windsurf's Cascade agent offers unique multi-step workflow capabilities that some developers prefer. The security implications are similar - both send code to cloud servers.
For enterprise environments with strict compliance requirements, Cursor's established SOC 2 compliance and mature privacy controls provide an advantage. For cutting-edge AI agent capabilities, Windsurf's Cascade may be worth exploring. Either way, configure privacy settings properly, use .cursorignore or .gitignore for sensitive files, and always scan your deployed applications with VAS.
Industry Security Context
When comparing Cursor vs Windsurf, consider these broader security trends.
of Lovable applications (170 out of 1,645) had exposed user data in the CVE-2025-48757 incident
Source: CVE-2025-48757 security advisory
of data breaches involve databases with misconfigured access controls
Source: Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report
average cost of a data breach in 2023
Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023
“Vibe coding your way to a production codebase is clearly risky. Most of the work we do as software engineers involves evolving existing systems, where the quality and understandability of the underlying code is crucial.”
Using Cursor or Windsurf?
Regardless of which platform you choose, VAS scans for security issues specific to your stack.
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Which AI IDE is more secure for enterprise development?
Cursor currently has more established enterprise security features with SOC 2 Type II certification and comprehensive team management controls. Windsurf is newer but rapidly adding enterprise features. Both send code context to cloud servers for AI processing, so evaluate your compliance requirements carefully. For highly sensitive codebases, consider using privacy mode features in either tool.
Do Cursor and Windsurf MCP servers have the same security risks?
Yes, both support MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers which can execute arbitrary code on your machine. The security risks are essentially identical: malicious or misconfigured MCP servers could exfiltrate data, run harmful commands, or modify your codebase. Carefully vet any MCP servers before installation and only use trusted sources. Review permissions granted to each server.
Can I prevent my secrets from being sent to AI servers?
Both tools offer methods to exclude files: Cursor uses .cursorignore for explicit exclusion, while Windsurf respects .gitignore patterns. Add your .env files, credentials.json, private keys, and sensitive config directories to these files. However, AI may still see secrets if they're hardcoded in source files you're actively editing. Never commit secrets to code.
Which tool's AI agent is safer to use?
Both Cursor's Agent and Windsurf's Cascade can perform multi-step operations that modify your codebase. Neither is inherently safer - the risk depends on what you allow them to do. Review all changes before committing, use version control, and don't give agents access to production systems or credentials. The AI-generated code from either tool should be reviewed for security issues.