chore: add dependabot configuration file & update misc repo config

.github/CODEOWNERS

@@ -9,3 +9,38 @@
 ###############################
 /packages/hedera-wallet-snap/                   @Nana-EC @kpachhai @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts @hashgraph/tuum-tech-hedera
 
+#########################
+#####  Core Files  ######
+#########################
+
+# NOTE: Must be placed last to ensure enforcement over all other rules
+
+# Protection Rules for Github Configuration Files and Actions Workflows
+/.github/                                       @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+
+# Top level NPM configuration files
+/package.json                                   @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+/package-lock.json                              @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+
+# Codacy Tool Configurations
+/config/                                        @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers
+.remarkrc                                       @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers
+/.prettierrc                                    @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+/.eslintrc.js                                   @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers
+
+# Semantic Release Configuration
+.releaserc                                      @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers
+
+# Self-protection for root CODEOWNERS files (this file should not exist and should definitely require approval)
+/CODEOWNERS                                     @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers
+
+# Protect the repository root files
+/README.md                                      @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+**/LICENSE                                      @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+
+# CodeCov configuration
+**/codecov.yml                                  @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers
+
+# Git Ignore definitions
+**/.gitignore                                   @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers
+**/.gitignore.*                                 @hashgraph/release-engineering-managers @hashgraph/hedera-smart-contracts-managers

.github/dependabot.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "daily"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "chore"
+      include: "scope"
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 15
+
+  - package-ecosystem: npm
+    directory: "/"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "daily"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "chore"
+      include: "scope"
+    versioning-strategy: increase
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+
+  - package-ecosystem: npm
+    directory: "/packages/hedera-wallet-snap"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "daily"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "chore"
+      include: "scope"
+    versioning-strategy: increase
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 15
+
+  - package-ecosystem: npm
+    directory: "/packages/hedera-wallet-snap/packages/site"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "daily"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "chore"
+      include: "scope"
+    versioning-strategy: increase
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 15
+
+  - package-ecosystem: npm
+    directory: "/packages/hedera-wallet-snap/packages/snap"
+    schedule:
+      interval: "daily"
+    commit-message:
+      prefix: "chore"
+      include: "scope"
+    versioning-strategy: increase
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 15

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+## Description
+
+This pull request changes the following:
+
+- TBD
+
+### Related Issues
+
+- Closes #

.gitignore

@@ -128,3 +128,9 @@ dist
 .yarn/build-state.yml
 .yarn/install-state.gz
 .pnp.*
+
+# IntelliJ IDEA files
+.idea/
+
+# MacOS X Metadata files
+.DS_Store