Deployment Guide: Securing GitHub with SGNL

Protect your code. Enforce just-in-time access in GitHub.

The problem: persistent access to your source of truth

GitHub is more than a version control system: It’s the beating heart of your software development lifecycle. That makes it a high-value target for attackers, and a high-stakes asset for engineering leaders.

But most organizations still treat GitHub like it’s any other SaaS app, granting broad access to repositories, managing permissions manually, and leaving privileged roles in place far longer than necessary.

The result:

• Standing access to production code
• Over-privileged developers and service accounts
• No clear link between business justification and access rights

It’s a recipe for mistakes, misuse, or breach, especially as more development work moves across teams, time zones, and contractors.

Why legacy access models can’t keep up

You might already be using:

• Okta or another identity provider
• GitHub Enterprise for version control
• Jira or ServiceNow to manage engineering work
• Crowdstrike or another endpoint detection and response platform

But these tools weren’t designed to coordinate continuous access decisions. Even GitHub’s native audit logs can’t easily answer:

“Who had access, and why?”

In a fast-moving environment, relying on static permissions or infrequent audits just doesn’t cut it.

What you really need: access when it’s needed—and only then

You don’t want to slow down developers. But you do want to reduce risk.
That means replacing standing GitHub access with justified, temporary access based on:

• Who the user is
• Why they need access (linked to an issue, ticket, or assignment)
• Whether their device is compliant
• When the access request is happening

SGNL: Zero Standing Privilege for your source code

SGNL enforces Zero Standing Privilege (ZSP) in GitHub by evaluating context-based policies at the time of access—no pre-granted roles, no static groups, and no waiting on manual approvals.

With SGNL:

• Developers and automation tools only get the access they need, for as long as they need it
• Access is revoked the moment justification expires
• Every access decision is logged and backed by policy

SGNL doesn’t replace controls in GitHub. It makes them better —without slowing teams down.

What success looks like

Organizations that deploy SGNL to secure GitHub achieve:

Zero Standing Privilege — eliminate long-lived access to sensitive repositories
Reduced risk of credential compromise — dynamic access reduces blast radius
Context-aware enforcement — access tied to valid work, assignments, or issues
Zero Standing Privilege — eliminate long-lived access to sensitive repositories Reduced risk of credential compromise — dynamic access reduces blast radius Context-aware enforcement — access tied to valid work, assignments, or issues Consistent policy across teams — human-readable rules, enforced continuously Improved audit and compliance — full context for every access decision

What you’ll need

Most SGNL GitHub deployments start with these systems:

SGNL supports a growing set of integrations. Custom systems? Let’s talk.

How it works at a glance

Let’s say a developer needs to merge code to a protected GitHub repository.

1. They’re assigned a Jira issue or ServiceNow ticket

2. SGNL evaluates real-time context:

   • Are they an active employee in Okta?
   • Is the issue or ticket open and assigned to them?
   • Are they accessing from a compliant device?
   • Is it within an approved work window or automation trigger?

3. If all checks pass, SGNL authorizes the pull request to be merged

4. When the context changes, SGNL no longer allows code to be merged, that could happen when:

   • The issue is closed
   • The device becomes noncompliant
   • Their role changes or justification expires

   Every access request is evaluated continuously based on the latest business context.

SGNL components involved

See GitHub as a Protected System and GitHub as a System of Record

Key deployment steps (overview)

This is a high-level flow. The detailed implementation guide covers configuration specifics.

1. Connect your identity systems

   • Integrate SGNL with Okta for authentication and group data
   • Ingest user and team info from GitHub as a System of Record

2. Configure GitHub as a Protected System

   • Set SGNL enforcement for repository or org-level access
   • Map GitHub roles and permissions to SGNL policies

3. Ingest business context

   • Link to ticketing systems (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow)
   • Ingest device posture data (e.g., Crowdstrike)

4. Author contextual access policies

   • Example: “Developers may push to production repositories only if assigned to an open ticket, working from a compliant device, during business hours”

5. Deploy and test enforcement

   • Enable enforcement points for GitHub
   • Validate policy behavior through test users and staged scenarios

6. Monitor, iterate, and scale

   • Use SGNL logs to validate policy outcomes
   • Expand coverage to more repositories or automation pipelines

   Want to go deeper? Start with Protecting GitHub

You’re in control

This isn’t about locking down developers. It’s about giving them access that’s fast, flexible, and fully justified without handing out more privileges than necessary. SGNL empowers engineering teams to move fast and stay secure.

Whether you’re trying to meet compliance requirements, tighten security around production code, or build a culture of least privilege, SGNL gets you there, without breaking your workflows.

Want to learn more? Get in touch or explore our full documentation.