Security Analysis

Is GitHub Copilot Safe?

An honest security analysis of GitHub Copilot for developers considering it for their projects.

Quick Answer

Safe - review AI suggestions carefully

GitHub Copilot is safe to use with appropriate precautions. Be aware that your code is processed by AI, use telemetry settings appropriately, and always review AI suggestions for security issues.

Security Assessment

Security Strengths

  • Built by GitHub/Microsoft with enterprise security
  • SOC 2 compliant
  • Telemetry and data sharing controls available
  • Regular security updates

Security Concerns

  • Code is sent to cloud for AI processing
  • AI may suggest insecure code patterns
  • Suggestions may include hardcoded credentials
  • Learning from public repos including vulnerable code

Security Checklist for GitHub Copilot

  • 1
    Review telemetry and data sharing settings
  • 2
    Never accept suggestions with hardcoded secrets
  • 3
    Review all AI-generated code for security issues
  • 4
    Use .gitignore to exclude sensitive files
  • 5
    Consider business tier for additional controls
  • 6
    Scan deployed applications for vulnerabilities

The Verdict

GitHub Copilot is a safe and useful tool when used with security awareness. Always review AI suggestions before accepting.

Security Research & Industry Data

Understanding GitHub Copilot security in the context of broader industry trends and research.

10.3%

of Lovable applications (170 out of 1,645) had exposed user data in the CVE-2025-48757 incident

Source: CVE-2025-48757 security advisory

4.45 million USD

average cost of a data breach in 2023

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023

500,000+

developers using vibe coding platforms like Lovable, Bolt, and Replit

Source: Combined platform statistics 2024-2025

What Security Experts Say

“There's a new kind of coding I call 'vibe coding', where you fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists.”

Andrej Karpathy — Former Tesla AI Director, OpenAI Co-founder

“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.”

Simon Willison — Security Researcher, Django Co-creator

Verify Your GitHub Copilot App Security

Don't guess - scan your app and know for certain. VAS checks for all the common security issues in GitHub Copilot applications.

Scan Your AppGitHub Copilot Security Guide

Related Security Guides

GitHub Copilot Security ScannerVibe Coding Security