GitLab Integration

This guide explains the complete process for integrating GitLab with the Matters SaaS platform. Once the integration is complete, your organization will be able to securely connect GitLab repositories, continuously monitor them, and identify sensitive data such as secrets, credentials, and personally identifiable information (PII).

Overview

The GitLab integration process is divided into two main phases:

1. Generate a Personal Access Token in GitLab

2. Connect GitLab to the Matters dashboard and configure repository scanning

By completing these steps, you can enable secure access and automated scanning of your repositories within the Matters platform.

Phase 1: Generate a Personal Access Token in GitLab

To allow Matters to securely access and read data from your GitLab repositories, you must first create a Personal Access Token (PAT) in GitLab with the required read-only permissions.

Step 1.1: Open the Token Management Section

1. Log in to your GitLab account.

2. Click on your Profile, then go to Preferences.

3. Navigate to Access Tokens and select Personal Access Tokens.

4. Click Generate Token, then choose Legacy Token.

Step 1.2: Enter the Token Details

Fill in the required information carefully:

• Token Name: For example, Matters-legacy-token

• Expiration Date: Select a date based on your organization’s token rotation policy

• Description: Add a short purpose for the token, for example, Devo no spark account integration

Step 1.3: Select the Required Access Scopes

To follow security best practices, select only the necessary read-only scopes:

• read_user

• read_api

• read_repository

• read_registry

• read_virtual_registry

After selecting the scopes, click Generate Token. Once the token is created, copy it immediately and store it securely in a password manager for future use.

Phase 2: Connect GitLab in the Matters Dashboard

After generating the Personal Access Token, the next step is to connect your GitLab account to the appropriate project in the Matters dashboard.

Step 2.1: Go to the Integrations Section

1. Log in to the Matters Dashboard.

2. From the navigation menu, go to Integrations > SaaS.

Step 2.2: Connect Your GitLab Account

1. In the GitLab section, click Connect.

2. Enter the following details:

• Integration Name: For example, Gitlab-devnospark-workspace

• Access Token: Paste the Personal Access Token you copied from GitLab

3. Click Connect to complete the integration.

Step 2.3: Verify the Connection

Once the connection is successful, a confirmation message will appear showing that the GitLab integration has been completed successfully.

Phase 3: Configure Repository Scanning

After the integration is complete, you can choose which repositories should be scanned for sensitive entities such as secrets, credentials, or PII.

Step 3.1: Open the SaaS Data Inventory

1. Under Data inventory, Click on SaaS.

2. Click Scan Settings to configure the scanning options.

Step 3.2: Select the GitLab

Choose the GitLab account that you have just connected.

Step 3.3: Select Repositories for Scanning

1. From the list of available repositories, select the repositories you want to scan for sensitive entities.

2. Click the Save button in the top-right corner.

Step 3.4: Start Automated Scanning

Once the repositories are saved, the system will begin scanning them automatically. During this process, any sensitive entities found in the selected repositories will be identified and displayed.

Step 3.5: Review the Scan Results

To view the details of the detected sensitive entities:

1. Click on the relevant repository.

2. Review the information under the Overview tab and the File Explorer tab.

This allows you to examine the findings in more detail and understand where sensitive data has been detected.

The GitLab integration is complete, the repository scan has finished successfully, and the sensitive data has been identified. You are good to go.