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Policy Overview

Policies are the rules that define what content should be blocked, warned, or logged when users interact with AI platforms. This guide explains how policies work and how to manage them.

What is a Policy?

A policy is a rule that:

  • Detects specific patterns in content
  • Takes action when patterns are found
  • Records the event for audit

Policies run in real-time as users interact with AI platforms, enforcing your organization's data protection requirements.

Policy Components

Each policy consists of:

Detection Rules

What the policy looks for:

  • Pattern matching - Regular expressions
  • Keyword detection - Specific words/phrases
  • Data type recognition - SSN, credit cards, etc.
  • AI/ML models - Advanced content classification

Trigger Behavior

What happens when detected:

  • Block - Prevent the action completely
  • Warn - Show warning, allow override
  • Log - Record silently, no user notification

Scope

Where the policy applies:

  • AI Platforms - ChatGPT, Claude, all, or specific
  • Users - All users, specific teams, or individuals
  • Sites - Can be overridden per site

Pre-Built Policies

Containment.AI includes a library of pre-built policies:

PII Detection

PolicyDetectsDefault Action
Social Security NumbersXXX-XX-XXXX patternBlock
Credit Card Numbers16-digit card numbersBlock
Phone NumbersVarious phone formatsWarn
Email AddressesEmail patternsLog
Physical AddressesStreet addressesWarn

Credentials & Secrets

PolicyDetectsDefault Action
API KeysCommon API key patternsBlock
PasswordsPassword-like stringsBlock
Private KeysPEM, SSH key formatsBlock
Connection StringsDatabase URLsBlock

Business Data

PolicyDetectsDefault Action
Financial DataRevenue, pricing infoWarn
Customer NamesName + context patternsWarn
Project CodenamesInternal project namesWarn

Compliance

PolicyDetectsDefault Action
HIPAA/PHIMedical informationBlock
GDPR Personal DataEU PII patternsWarn
PCI DataPayment card infoBlock

Policy States

Enabled

  • Policy is active and enforcing
  • Violations generate alerts
  • Users see blocks/warnings

Disabled

  • Policy is not running
  • No enforcement occurs
  • Existing alerts remain

Draft

  • Policy is being edited
  • Not yet activated
  • Test without enforcement

Policy Hierarchy

Policies can be scoped at multiple levels:

Organization Policies

Team Policies

Site-Specific Overrides

More specific scopes override broader ones.

Plan Availability

FeatureFreeProfessionalEnterprise
Pre-built policies✓ (read-only)
Enable/disable
Custom policies
Policy exceptions
Team scopingBasicFull

Getting Started

  1. Review the Policy Categories
  2. Configure policies for your needs
  3. Set up exceptions for legitimate use cases

Best Practices

Start Conservative

  • Begin with warning mode
  • Review alerts before blocking
  • Gradually tighten controls

Tune Regularly

  • Check for false positives weekly
  • Adjust sensitivity as needed
  • Add legitimate patterns to allowlists

Document Decisions

  • Keep notes on why policies are configured
  • Track exceptions and their justifications
  • Maintain audit trail of changes