GitHub Secret Scanning helps protect repositories by detecting committed credentials and other sensitive values that should not be exposed in source code. SSH private keys are sensitive because they can allow unauthorized access to servers or repositories. API keys are also critical because they can grant access to external services, cloud platforms, or applications. Database connection strings may expose usernames, passwords, hosts, or database endpoints, making them dangerous if leaked. Secret Scanning is designed to identify these kinds of credential patterns and alert repository maintainers or security teams. Hardcoded email addresses are usually not treated as secrets, and code formatting issues are handled by linters or code quality tools, not Secret Scanning.