AI tools and client data

Is Devin Desktop safe for client data?

Short answer: Whether Devin Desktop is safe for client data turns on which plan your staff are on, which account they signed in with, and what you have told them they may put in it — not on the product itself. On Pro and Max, Cognition may use code and instructions to train its models unless somebody turns that off; on Teams, Cognition may use code and instructions to train its models unless somebody turns that off; on Enterprise, Cognition says it does not train its models on code and instructions, by default. Every fact on this page is Cognition's own, quoted from its own pages and dated, and where we did not find a statement this page says so rather than filling the gap. Obsidian Ridge's free 30-day AI security assessment shows which AI tools your staff actually use.

By Kfir Yair, CISSP. Published . Updated .

See which AI tools your staff use

Plan by plan, in Cognition’s own words

Devin Desktop is Cognition's coding environment for local and cloud agents, formerly called Windsurf.

What you are askingPro and MaxTeamsEnterprise
Trains the vendor's models by defaultYes, by default on paid non-Enterprise plans; a paid account can opt out through Data Controls.“By default, we may use your data for model training” source, read Yes, by default on paid non-Enterprise plans; a paid account can opt out through Data Controls.“By default, we may use your data for model training” source, read No, unless the Enterprise customer gives express prior written consent; the customer agreement governs.“never train on your data” source, read
How to turn training offOn paid plans, review the opt-out in Data Controls. For Teams, an administrator must make this choice.“you can opt out at any time” source, read On paid plans, review the opt-out in Data Controls. For Teams, an administrator must make this choice.“you can opt out at any time” source, read Not found in the pages we read.
How long data is keptNot found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.
What an admin can see or controlNot found in the pages we read.On paid plans, review the opt-out in Data Controls. For Teams, an administrator must make this choice.“you can opt out at any time” source, read Not found in the pages we read.
Single sign-onNot found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.
Business Associate AgreementNot found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.
Where the data is processedNot found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.Not found in the pages we read.

An empty cell is not a reassurance and not a criticism. "Not found in the pages we read." means the Cognition pages listed under Sources, read on the dates shown, do not answer it — so there is nothing for us to repeat, and something for you to ask Cognition before client information goes near it.

What this means for

The duty does not change because the tool is new. What changes is where the client information ends up.

  • Law firms. A client confidence pasted into a personal account has left the firm’s control. Our law firm page sets out the duties we build evidence for; the decision here is whether a personal account may touch a client matter at all.
  • Dental and medical practices. We didn't find a BAA statement in the pages listed below; ask Cognition before any patient data goes in. See dental practices.
  • CPA and accounting firms. Your written information security plan has to describe the tools people actually use, not the ones you approved. See accounting firms.
  • Financial advisers. Client account data in a personal assistant is the exposure; see financial advisers.
  • Software teams. A coding assistant reads the repository and can run commands, so the question is what it can reach, not what it was asked. See what AI agents on work laptops can reach.

How to tell which version your staff use

The plan is the whole answer, and you cannot tell from the outside. Three ways to find out, in order of how much they prove.

  1. 1. Ask

    Quick, free, and incomplete. People forget the tool they installed once and the account they signed in with.

  2. 2. Look at the billing and the admin console

    This finds what the business pays for. It does not find a personal account, which is the one that matters here.

  3. 3. Look on the computers

    A tool somebody installed themselves never appears in an IT list. Obsidian Ridge’s free 30-day AI security assessment takes a quiet inventory for 30 days and shows what each tool could reach, then a CISSP goes through it with you. See the assessment, or read a sample set of findings.

Settings to check today

From Cognition’s own documentation. Each one is a change somebody can make this afternoon.

  • On paid plans, review the opt-out in Data Controls. For Teams, an administrator must make this choice.“you can opt out at any time” source, read

Worth knowing

  • Windsurf's current product name is Devin Desktop. Cognition says existing plans and settings carry over.“Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf.” source, read

Questions we get asked

Is Devin Desktop safe for client data?

Whether Devin Desktop is safe for client data turns on which plan your staff are on, which account they signed in with, and what you have told them they may put in it — not on the product itself.

On Pro and Max, Cognition may use code and instructions to train its models unless somebody turns that off; on Teams, Cognition may use code and instructions to train its models unless somebody turns that off; on Enterprise, Cognition says it does not train its models on code and instructions, by default.

Every fact on this page is Cognition's own, quoted from its own pages and dated, and where we did not find a statement this page says so rather than filling the gap.

Does Cognition train its models on what we put into Devin Desktop?

On Pro and Max, Cognition may use code and instructions to train its models unless somebody turns that off; on Teams, Cognition may use code and instructions to train its models unless somebody turns that off; on Enterprise, Cognition says it does not train its models on code and instructions, by default.

On Pro and Max, Teams: Yes, by default on paid non-Enterprise plans; a paid account can opt out through Data Controls. Cognition's own words: "By default, we may use your data for model training" (read 2026-11-05).

On Enterprise: No, unless the Enterprise customer gives express prior written consent; the customer agreement governs. Cognition's own words: "never train on your data" (read 2026-11-05).

How long does Cognition keep what we put into Devin Desktop?

On Pro and Max, Teams, Enterprise: Not found in the pages we read.

Can an administrator read what we put into Devin Desktop?

On Pro and Max: Not found in the pages we read. On Teams: On paid plans, review the opt-out in Data Controls. For Teams, an administrator must make this choice. Cognition's own words: "you can opt out at any time" (read 2026-11-05). On Enterprise: Not found in the pages we read.

Will Cognition sign a Business Associate Agreement for Devin Desktop?

We didn't find a BAA statement in the pages listed below; ask Cognition before any patient data goes in.

How do we find out which version of Devin Desktop our staff are using?

Look on the computers. A tool somebody installed themselves, or signed into with a personal account, does not appear in any IT list. Obsidian Ridge's free 30-day AI security assessment takes that inventory for 30 days and shows what each tool could reach.

Sources

Cognition’s own pages, with the date each was read. Nothing on this page comes from anywhere else.

All 47 tools, side by side, or run the AI tool risk checker over the ones you know about.

Other tools people ask about

Same question, different answers. The ones in the same category are the ones staff swap between.