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Is it safe to give an AI agent your email and files? A 5-step checklist

"How do you make sure it's secure?" and "How do you let it see your proprietary data or code?" Short answer: 5 steps. 1) Give the least access that works; 2) Separate accounts for agent work; 3) Require approval for anything external; 4) Read the data policy once; 5) Watch for prompt injection.

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The problem: "How do you make sure it's secure?" and "How do you let it see your proprietary data or code?"
Asked on X: post 1, post 2

How do I fix this?

  1. Give the least access that works

    Connect one inbox or one folder, not your whole account. Prefer read-only scopes until the agent has proven useful.

  2. Separate accounts for agent work

    Use a dedicated email address or workspace for the agent where possible, so a mistake can't touch everything you own.

  3. Require approval for anything external

    Sending email, posting, paying or deleting should need your confirmation. Turn on approval prompts if the agent supports them.

  4. Read the data policy once

    Check whether your data is used for training and how long it's kept, and whether there's a business/zero-retention option for sensitive work.

  5. Watch for prompt injection

    Web pages and emails can contain hidden instructions. Don't let an agent act automatically on content it just read from an untrusted source.

Which tools can do this for me?

GitGuardian

Detects secrets in repos and commits; free for individual developers.

TruffleHog

Open-source secret scanner for Git history, files and more.

Semgrep

Static analysis that finds common security bugs in code.

Snyk

Finds vulnerable dependencies and code issues.

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