Classification Profiles

Define rules for classifying sensitive data.

The Classification Profiles page is where you define and manage the rules DataDefender uses to classify your data. It has two tabs: Profiles (which group data patterns together) and Custom Data Patterns (individual detection rules).


Profiles Tab

Predefined Profiles

DataDefender ships with a set of built-in classification profiles based on common industry and compliance frameworks (e.g. PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR). These profiles are read-only and cannot be modified or deleted.

Column
Description

Profile Name

Name of the predefined profile

Data Patterns

Number of data patterns in this profile

Resources Monitored

Number of resources currently monitored

Last Hit

Last time a given profile was detected

Click View Details on any predefined profile to see which data patterns it contains.

Custom Profiles

Custom profiles are organization-specific profiles that you create and manage. They allow you to group data patterns that are relevant to your specific business context.

Column
Description

Profile Name

Name of your custom profile

Data Pattern Count

Number of data patterns assigned to this profile

Status

Active or Inactive

Actions per profile:

  • View: View profile details including data patterns, creation date, status

  • Edit: Modify the profile name, status, or assigned data patterns

  • Delete: Permanently remove the profile (you will be asked to confirm)

Creating a Custom Profile

  1. Click Create New Profile.

  2. Enter a profile name.

  3. Select data patterns from the library on the left.

  4. Click Add Selected Patterns to assign them to the profile.

  5. Set the profile status (Active or Inactive).

  6. Click Save Profile.


Custom Data Patterns Tab

Custom data patterns are individual detection rules, typically regular expressions, that define what counts as a match during a classification scan.

Column
Description

Pattern Name

Name of the data pattern

Severity

How serious a match is: Critical, High, Medium, or Low

Detection Method

How matches are detected (e.g. Regex)

Version

Pattern version number

Actions

Modify or delete custom data pattern

Actions per pattern:

  • Edit: Modify the pattern definition

  • Delete: Remove the pattern (you will be asked to confirm)

Creating a Custom Data Pattern

  1. Click Create Custom Data Pattern.

  2. Fill in the Pattern Name and select a Severity level.

  3. Optionally add a Description.

  4. Enter your Regular Expression in the detection field. Use the Regex Syntax Guide button for reference.

  5. Use the Testing Sandbox on the right to paste sample text and verify your regex matches what you expect.

  6. Optionally assign the pattern to one or more existing custom profiles.

  7. Click Create Data Pattern.


Tips

  • Activate only the profiles relevant to your compliance requirements to reduce noise in classification results.

  • Test your regex patterns thoroughly in the sandbox before saving, incorrect patterns can produce false positives or miss real matches.

  • A data pattern can belong to multiple profiles. You do not need to duplicate patterns if they apply to more than one framework.

Last updated