Detection entries

Cloudflare DLP can scan your web traffic and SaaS applications for specific data defined in custom detection entries. Detection entries allow you to define custom data patterns for DLP to detect using DLP profiles. Detection entries include custom datasets with defined data and document entries with example fingerprints.

You can configure sensitive data to be hashed before reaching Cloudflare and redacted from matches in payload logs.

Datasets

You can create and upload custom datasets to scan for specific matching data.

Dataset types

Exact Data Match

Exact Data Match (EDM) protects sensitive information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and credit card numbers.

All data in uploaded EDM datasets is encrypted before reaching Cloudflare. To detect matches, Cloudflare hashes traffic and compares it to hashes from your dataset. Matched data will be redacted in payload logs.

Custom Wordlist

Custom Wordlist (CWL) protects non-sensitive data, such as intellectual property and SKU numbers. Optionally, CWL can detect case-sensitive data.

Cloudflare stores data from CWL datasets within DLP. Plaintext matches appear in payload logs.

Prepare DLP datasets

Formatting

To prepare a dataset for DLP, add your desired data to a single-column spreadsheet. Each line must be at least six characters long. Entries do not require trailing or final commas.

For compatibility, save your file in either .csv or .txt format with LF (\n) newline characters. DLP does not support CRLF (\r\n) newline characters. For information on dataset limits, refer to Account limits.

Column title cells

Column title cells may result in false positives in Custom Wordlist datasets and should be removed.

DLP will detect and use title cells as column names for Exact Data Match datasets. If multiple columns have the same name, DLP will append a number sign (#) and number to their names.

Update EDM datasets

To select which Exact Data Match columns to use, you will need to reupload any EDM datasets added prior to column support.

Upload a new dataset

Upload an Exact Data Match dataset

1. In Zero Trust ↗, go to DLP > Detection entries.
2. Go to Datasets.
3. Select Add a dataset. In Exact Data Match (EDM), choose Select.
4. Upload your dataset file. Select Next.
5. Review and choose the detected columns you want to include. Select Next.
6. Name your dataset. Optionally, add a description. Select Next.
7. Review the details for your uploaded dataset. Select Save dataset.

DLP will encrypt your dataset and save its hash.

Upload a Custom Wordlist dataset

1. In Zero Trust ↗, go to DLP > Detection entries.
2. Go to Datasets.
3. Select Add a dataset. In Custom Wordlist (CWL), choose Select.
4. Name your dataset. Optionally, add a description.
5. (Optional) In Settings, turn on Enforce case sensitivity to require matched values to contain exact capitalization.
6. In Upload file, choose your dataset file.
7. Select Save.

DLP will save your dataset in cleartext.

The dataset will appear in the list with an Uploading status. Once the upload is complete, the status will change to Complete. To use your uploaded dataset, add it as an existing entry to a custom DLP profile.

Manage existing datasets

Uploaded DLP datasets are read-only. To update a dataset, you must upload a new file to replace the original.

1. In Zero Trust ↗, go to DLP > DLP datasets.
2. Select the dataset you want to update.
3. Select Upload dataset and choose your updated dataset. Select Next.
4. If your select dataset is an Exact Data Match dataset, review and choose the new columns. Select Next.
5. Select Save dataset.

Your new dataset will replace the original dataset.

Remove existing column entries

If you want to update an Exact Data Match dataset to remove a column in use as an existing detection entry, you must remove the existing entry from any custom DLP profiles using it before updating the dataset.

Documents

You can upload example documents to scan for unstructured data or specific document types common to your organization. DLP will create a unique fingerprint of the document and detect patterns in your organization's traffic based on how similar it is to the original fingerprint.

DLP stores uploaded documents encrypted at rest in a Cloudflare R2 bucket. To upload sensitive data that is only stored in memory, use Exact Data Match.

Prepare document entries

DLP supports documents in .docx and .txt format. Documents must be under 10 MB.

Upload a new document entry

To upload a new document entry to DLP:

1. In Zero Trust ↗, go to DLP > Detection entries.
2. Go to Documents.
3. Select Add a document entry.
4. Name your document. Optionally, add a description.
5. In Minimum similarity for matches, enter a value between 0% and 100%.
6. In Upload document, choose and upload your document file.
7. Select Save.

The document will appear in the list with a Pending status. Once the upload is complete, the status will change to Complete. If you created a document entry with Terraform, the status will be No file until you upload a file.

To use your uploaded document fingerprint, add it as an existing entry to a custom DLP profile.

Manage existing document entries

Uploaded document entries are read-only. To update a document entry, you must upload a new file to replace the original.

1. In Zero Trust ↗, go to DLP > Detection entries.
2. Choose the document you want to update and select Edit.
3. (Optional) Update the name and minimum similarity for matches for your document entry. You can also open the existing uploaded document.
4. In Update document entry, choose and upload your updated document file.
5. Select Save.

Your new document entry will replace the original document entry. If your file upload fails, DLP will still use the original document fingerprint to scan traffic until you delete the entry.