GitHub Advanced Security review: securing Copilot-written code

Best for GitHub-only teams using Copilot · Rank 10 of 10 · 2.9 / 5

Editorial assessment · Compiled from vendor product, docs, pricing and marketplace pages · Rated October 2026

ANSWER FIRST

GitHub Advanced Security ranks tenth at 2.9 out of 5. It is the natural choice for teams on GitHub using Copilot, with CodeQL, Copilot Autofix and push protection at published per-committer prices. It scores lowest on endpoint deployment because its agent checks cover only GitHub's own Copilot coding agent.

diff --verdict github-advanced-security · reviewed 2026-09

@@ strengths @@

Strength:Published prices: GitHub Secret Protection $19 and GitHub Code Security $30 per active committer per month. [source]
Strength:Copilot coding agent runs CodeQL, Advisory Database and secret scanning checks on its own changes, no GHAS license needed. [source]
Strength:Push protection blocks commits that contain secrets; AI-detected secrets included. [source]
Strength:Copilot Autofix suggests fixes for code scanning alerts. [source]

@@ limitations @@

Limitation:No controls for third-party assistants such as Cursor or Claude Code on the pages reviewed. [source]
Limitation:For repositories on GitHub, on GitHub Team or GitHub Enterprise Cloud plans. [source]

How does GitHub Advanced Security score?

GitHub Advanced Security: score by criterion, editorial assessment, 0-5. Last reviewed September 2026.
Criterion	Weight	Score	Why
Coverage of AI-generated code and AI coding assistants	25%	3.0 / 5	CodeQL scans every pull request whoever wrote it, and the Copilot coding agent checks its own changes; Copilot is the only assistant named, and there is no discovery of other agents or MCP servers.
Endpoint deployment and tamper resistance	20%	1.5 / 5	Runs on GitHub at push and pull request; no endpoint agent is described.
Governance and policy control for the CISO	20%	2.0 / 5	Organization-level security overview, campaigns and push protection; agent checks cover GitHub's own Copilot coding agent, not third-party assistants.
Developer experience and low friction	15%	4.5 / 5	Native to pull requests on GitHub.
Pricing and buying clarity	10%	4.5 / 5	GitHub Secret Protection is $19 and GitHub Code Security is $30 per active committer per month, and several features are free for public repositories.
Remediation and ASPM depth	10%	3.5 / 5	Copilot Autofix suggests fixes and security campaigns organize remediation; no reachability or business-context scoring is described.

Weighted total 2.925 (displayed 2.9)

What does GitHub Advanced Security do for AI-generated code?

GitHub sells two security products for GitHub Team and GitHub Enterprise Cloud: GitHub Code Security (code scanning with CodeQL, Copilot Autofix, dependency review, security overview and campaigns) and GitHub Secret Protection (secret scanning, push protection, AI-detected secrets and custom patterns). Code written by any assistant is scanned once it reaches a GitHub pull request. Separately, GitHub's Copilot coding agent runs CodeQL, GitHub Advisory Database and secret scanning checks on its own changes, and GitHub says this does not require a GHAS license.

Facts

Code scanning, secret scanning and Dependabot alerts are free for public repositories.
Source: About GitHub Advanced Security docs · Reviewed Sep 2026
Copilot coding agent security validation was announced on 28 October 2025.
Source: Copilot coding agent changelog · Reviewed Sep 2026

How is GitHub Advanced Security priced?

GitHub Secret Protection: $19 per active committer per month. GitHub Code Security: $30 per active committer per month. Both are available to organizations on GitHub Team and GitHub Enterprise Cloud.

Source: GitHub Advanced Security page · Reviewed Sep 2026

Where does GitHub Advanced Security trail other tools?

Coverage of AI-generated code and AI coding assistants: GitHub Advanced Security 3.0, leader Legit Security, Snyk, Endor Labs 5.0
Endpoint deployment and tamper resistance: GitHub Advanced Security 1.5, leader Legit Security 5.0
Governance and policy control for the CISO: GitHub Advanced Security 2.0, leader Backslash Security 5.0
Pricing and buying clarity: GitHub Advanced Security 4.5, leader Aikido Security 5.0
Remediation and ASPM depth: GitHub Advanced Security 3.5, leader Legit Security, Cycode, Apiiro 5.0

Who should choose GitHub Advanced Security?

Teams whose code lives on GitHub and whose main assistant is Copilot. Teams that also use Cursor, Claude Code or other agents need a separate control for those agents from one of the higher-ranked tools.

What are the alternatives to GitHub Advanced Security?

Semgrep3.5 / 5Best for per-contributor pricing and agent hooks Snyk4.1 / 5Best for broad assistant coverage with a free start Aikido Security3.0 / 5Best for small teams that want flat published prices

All GitHub Advanced Security alternatives, ranked

Frequently asked questions

Does GitHub scan code written by Copilot?

Yes. Code Security scans every pull request with CodeQL, whoever wrote it, and the Copilot coding agent runs CodeQL, Advisory Database and secret scanning checks on its own changes without a GHAS license.

How much does GitHub Advanced Security cost?

GitHub Secret Protection is $19 and GitHub Code Security is $30 per active committer per month, for GitHub Team and GitHub Enterprise Cloud organizations.

Sources reviewed

Last reviewed October 2026. Editorial assessment from public vendor material; no hands-on testing.