diff --git a/userspace/engine/banned.h b/userspace/engine/banned.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21dfdb2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/userspace/engine/banned.h
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+Copyright (C) 2019 The Falco Authors.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+#pragma once
+
+// BAN macro defines `function` as an invalid token that says using
+// the function is banned. This throws a compile time error when the
+// function is used.
+#define BAN(function) using_##function##_is_banned
+
+#undef strcpy
+#define strcpy(a, b) BAN(strcpy)
diff --git a/userspace/engine/falco_common.cpp b/userspace/engine/falco_common.cpp
index 810066a0..f8cbeb98 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/falco_common.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/falco_common.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "config_falco_engine.h"
 #include "falco_common.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 std::vector<std::string> falco_common::priority_names = {
 	"Emergency",
@@ -117,4 +118,3 @@ void falco_common::add_lua_path(string &path)
 
 	lua_pop(m_ls, 1);
 }
-
diff --git a/userspace/engine/falco_engine.cpp b/userspace/engine/falco_engine.cpp
index b8a9adda..aa298a7e 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/falco_engine.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/falco_engine.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 
 string lua_on_event = "on_event";
diff --git a/userspace/engine/falco_utils.cpp b/userspace/engine/falco_utils.cpp
index dff6fd44..bc0ea08d 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/falco_utils.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/falco_utils.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 #include "falco_utils.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 namespace falco
 {
diff --git a/userspace/engine/formats.cpp b/userspace/engine/formats.cpp
index b95a78c2..ca33753d 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/formats.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/formats.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "formats.h"
 #include "falco_engine.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 
 sinsp* falco_formats::s_inspector = NULL;
diff --git a/userspace/engine/json_evt.cpp b/userspace/engine/json_evt.cpp
index a15d2114..5e2de857 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/json_evt.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/json_evt.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "falco_common.h"
 #include "json_evt.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 using json = nlohmann::json;
 using namespace std;
diff --git a/userspace/engine/rules.cpp b/userspace/engine/rules.cpp
index 24267069..914fc4f5 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/rules.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/rules.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 
 #include "falco_engine.h"
+#include "banned.h"
+
 const static struct luaL_reg ll_falco_rules [] =
 {
 	{"clear_filters", &falco_rules::clear_filters},
@@ -480,4 +482,3 @@ falco_rules::~falco_rules()
 	delete m_sinsp_lua_parser;
 	delete m_json_lua_parser;
 }
-
diff --git a/userspace/engine/ruleset.cpp b/userspace/engine/ruleset.cpp
index 5d7f9af0..127f9a6f 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/ruleset.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/ruleset.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 #include "ruleset.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
diff --git a/userspace/engine/token_bucket.cpp b/userspace/engine/token_bucket.cpp
index 0d676dc4..b6ec1ac2 100644
--- a/userspace/engine/token_bucket.cpp
+++ b/userspace/engine/token_bucket.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "token_bucket.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 token_bucket::token_bucket():
 	token_bucket(sinsp_utils::get_current_time_ns)
diff --git a/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp b/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
index 95b36b62..f1f5c30e 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/configuration.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "configuration.h"
 #include "logger.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
diff --git a/userspace/falco/event_drops.cpp b/userspace/falco/event_drops.cpp
index 5218c061..2f0f9dd0 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/event_drops.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/event_drops.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 #include "event_drops.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 syscall_evt_drop_mgr::syscall_evt_drop_mgr():
 	m_num_syscall_evt_drops(0),
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
index 1a0a7861..e4088ae9 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include "statsfilewriter.h"
 #include "webserver.h"
 #include "grpc_server.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 typedef function<void(sinsp* inspector)> open_t;
 
@@ -895,7 +896,7 @@ int falco_init(int argc, char **argv)
 			printf("%s\n", support.dump().c_str());
 			goto exit;
 		}
-		
+
 		// read hostname
 		string hostname;
 		if(char* env_hostname = getenv("FALCO_GRPC_HOSTNAME"))
diff --git a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
index d3f1895f..ddc76d44 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/falco_outputs.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include "formats.h"
 #include "logger.h"
 #include "falco_output_queue.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace falco::output;
diff --git a/userspace/falco/grpc_context.cpp b/userspace/falco/grpc_context.cpp
index 60e47f19..cbf01142 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/grpc_context.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/grpc_context.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include <sstream>
 
 #include "grpc_context.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 falco::grpc::context::context(::grpc::ServerContext* ctx):
 	m_ctx(ctx)
diff --git a/userspace/falco/grpc_server.cpp b/userspace/falco/grpc_server.cpp
index 34607fba..36eec4d5 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/grpc_server.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/grpc_server.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include "grpc_server.h"
 #include "grpc_context.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 #define REGISTER_STREAM(req, res, svc, rpc, impl, num)                                  \
 	std::vector<request_stream_context<req, res>> rpc##_contexts(num);         \
diff --git a/userspace/falco/grpc_server_impl.cpp b/userspace/falco/grpc_server_impl.cpp
index 1e172bf0..861388c9 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/grpc_server_impl.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/grpc_server_impl.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 #include "grpc_server_impl.h"
 #include "falco_output_queue.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 bool falco::grpc::server_impl::is_running()
 {
diff --git a/userspace/falco/logger.cpp b/userspace/falco/logger.cpp
index 770d1929..da4d6cf3 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/logger.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/logger.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include "chisel_api.h"
 
 #include "falco_common.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 const static struct luaL_reg ll_falco [] =
 {
@@ -158,5 +159,3 @@ void falco_logger::log(int priority, const string msg)
 		}
 	}
 }
-
-
diff --git a/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp b/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp
index dcb7260a..9da61f9f 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/statsfilewriter.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include <signal.h>
 
 #include "statsfilewriter.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 using namespace std;
 
diff --git a/userspace/falco/utils.cpp b/userspace/falco/utils.cpp
index 6400729f..af657a96 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/utils.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/utils.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 void falco::utils::read(const std::string& filename, std::string& data)
 {
diff --git a/userspace/falco/webserver.cpp b/userspace/falco/webserver.cpp
index f4a511a9..1c0f2812 100644
--- a/userspace/falco/webserver.cpp
+++ b/userspace/falco/webserver.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 #include "falco_common.h"
 #include "webserver.h"
 #include "json_evt.h"
+#include "banned.h"
 
 using json = nlohmann::json;
 using namespace std;