SecPilot

Inspiration

SecPilot is a powerful Visual Studio Code extension that seamlessly integrates with GitHub Copilot to bring Static Application Security Testing (SAST) directly into your development workflow. Built with an initial focus on the Azure community, SecPilot proactively uncovers vulnerabilities and offers real-time remediation suggestions—without requiring you to leave VS Code. This streamlined approach helps developers write safer, more resilient code from the start.

How we built it

1. Integration with GitHub Copilot API Exploration: We started by understanding the GitHub Copilot APIs and how to harness its advanced code suggestions. VS Code Extension Framework: Built a custom VS Code extension using TypeScript, leveraging the Visual Studio Code Extension API to seamlessly connect with Copilot’s prompt-based engine. Cloud Security Prompts: Designed specialized prompts that analyze code for security concerns related to cloud configurations and Azure best practices. These prompts are dynamically generated based on the file context and user actions, allowing Copilot to provide immediate, security-focused suggestions.

2. Static Analysis & Security Rules SAST Engine Selection: We integrated open-source SAST engines (like ESLint rules, custom scripts, or other popular scanning frameworks) to provide baseline security scans. Custom Rule Sets: Created cloud-specific rules for Azure security best practices, ensuring that potential misconfigurations or anti-patterns are flagged as early as possible. Real-Time Feedback: Configured the extension to parse SAST scan results in the background and present them as warnings or quick fixes in VS Code, without disrupting development flow.

Challenges we ran into

1. Prompt Engineering Complexity Crafting prompts that reliably generate accurate, security-focused suggestions required iterative tuning. Overly broad prompts led to irrelevant or inconsistent suggestions, while too-specific prompts sometimes missed larger issues.
2. Performance and Latency Integrating multiple scanning engines in real-time introduced latency issues. Balancing thorough security checks with a responsive developer experience demanded careful optimization, caching, and asynchronous processing. 3.Security Rule Overlaps & False Positives Combining multiple security frameworks often produced duplicate or conflicting findings. We had to devise a strategy to deduplicate results and minimize “noise,” ensuring developers aren’t overwhelmed by false positives.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

1. Seamless Developer Experience By nesting SAST checks within Copilot’s context-based suggestions, we’ve created a frictionless security workflow that meets developers where they are, right inside the IDE.
2. Cloud-Specific Security Insights Our custom rule sets go beyond generic SAST and tackle Azure cloud misconfigurations, aligning with best practices in real-time. This focus on cloud security sets SecPilot apart and provides immediate, high-value feedback.
3. Adaptability for Future Integrations Built with an eye toward expanding capabilities, including DevOps pipeline integration and Azure Defender (CSPM) compatibility. The codebase is modular, making it simpler to add new features as the product evolves.

What we learned

1. Value of Iterative Prompt Design
2. Importance of Developer-Centric Security
3. Balancing Automation with Human Insight 4 Future-Proofing with Modular Architecture This positions SecPilot to adapt as cloud security landscapes evolve.

What's next for SecPilot

Looking ahead, SecPilot aims to expand its capabilities to integrate with DevOps pipelines, Azure Cloud CSPM (Azure Defender), continuous compliance solutions, and security incident management platforms. By unifying code creation with robust security checks, SecPilot accelerates secure software delivery and ensures compliance throughout your entire SDLC.

Built With

• javascript
• typesecript