> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.docontrol.io/docontrol-user-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.docontrol.io/docontrol-user-guide/faqs/data-scanning.md).
# Data scanning
FAQs on how to scan files for personally identifiable information
DoControl's DLP data scan goes beyond basic PII and regex detection. To reduce the risk of data breaches and maintain regulatory compliance, you can scan your assets for sensitive data classifiers and regex patterns.
Q. What is DoControl's Data Scan feature?
A. DoControl's Data Scan is a DLP (Data Loss Prevention) tool that scans assets for sensitive data classifiers and regex patterns in real-time.
It goes beyond basic PII and regex detection to help you identify and classify files and messages containing high-risk content across Google Drive, Slack, and Slack Enterprise, enabling you to enforce access controls and respond to incidents within minutes.
Q. Which SaaS apps does Data Scan support?
A. Data Scan supports Google Drive, Slack, and Slack Enterprise:
* For Google Drive and regular Slack, DoControl scans files only.
* For Slack Enterprise, DoControl can scan both files and conversations.
Q. What type of file formats can be scanned?
A. DoControl supports a wide range of file formats when scanning for data classifiers and regex patterns, including:
* TXT, CSV, PDF, Microsoft Office files (DOC/DOCX, XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX)
* Google Workspace files (GDOC, GSHEET, GSLIDES)
* Image files (PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF)
* Compressed files (ZIP, RAR, GZIP)
* Email formats (MSG, EML), and many others.
DoControl also includes OCR capabilities for scanning images and PDFs.
For a list of supported file types when running a data scan, see [supported file types](/docontrol-user-guide/workflows/define-workflow-settings/action-settings/query/data-scan.md#supported-file-types).
Q. Do I need special permission to use Data Scan?
A. Yes, you need to give consent to enable the Data Scan action in workflows. This is a one-time setup requirement.
Q. What are the main use cases for using Data Scan?
A. The primary use cases include:
* **Regulatory compliance** - Identifying protected data types like PII, PCI, and PHI to comply with GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2
* **Data breach prevention** - Detecting accidental or malicious sharing of credentials, API keys, or financial data
* **Intellectual property protection** - Monitoring unauthorized sharing of trade secrets, proprietary code, or strategic documents
Q. What happens if a PII scan runs on a file that isn't supported? How can we avoid scanning unsupported files?
A. If, for example, a workflow was triggered after a PNG file was shared, the workflow will fail, since PNG files are not supported for PII scanning.
You can avoid this by adding conditions to the workflow trigger in order to ignore specific file types.
**To prevent PII scanning of unsupported files:**
1\. Set a condition for each **supported** file type that’s commonly sent by your organization:
\[Get Document Name] contains \[.xlsx] \
\[Get Document Name] contains \[.doc] \
\[Get Document Name] contains \[.txt] \
etc
OR
Set a condition for each **unsupported** file type commonly sent by your organization:\
\[Get Document Name] doesn't contain \[.png] \
\[Get Document Name] doesn't contain \[.jpeg] \
\[Get Document Name] doesn't contain \[.mp4] \
\[Get Document Name] doesn't contain \[.gif] \
etc
2. Add a lexical list with either supported or unsupported file types as a condition. Go to **Settings > Lexical lists > Add list**.
3. Enter the supported or unsupported file formats in a new list.
4. Use the supported file type list as a condition for triggering the workflow, OR use the unsupported file type list as a condition for not triggering the workflow.
Q. What compliance standards does Data Scan support?
A. Data Scan supports multiple compliance standards including GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, FERPA, LGPD, CCPA, POPI, PDPO, and GLBA.
Each compliance standard includes a number of relevant data classifiers that are automatically scanned when you select that standard.
Q. What is match probability and how does it work?
A. Match probability indicates the likelihood of a data classifier appearing in a file or conversation:
* High probability (71-100% likelihood)
* Medium probability (31-70% likelihood)
* Low probability (0-30% likelihood)
This probability-based scoring helps reduce false positives and enables smarter decision-making.
Q. Can I create custom regex patterns?
A. Yes, you can define custom regex patterns between 5-1000 characters.
DoControl uses RE2 syntax for regular expressions. Custom regex patterns are useful for searching proprietary sensitive information specific to your organization, such as internal customer data, budget information, or unique identifiers.
Q. What are the limitations of regex scanning?
A. Regex scanning has several limitations:
* Character length must be between 5-1000 characters
* File size is limited to 10MB
* If results exceed 70 characters, an `Expression too wide` error is returned
* If the scan takes more than two minutes, an `Expression too wide` error is returned
Q. How do I view the results of a data scan?
1. Navigate to the specific workflow and view its execution details.
2. In the **Output** tab, click the **Data scan action** to see all matches.
3. You can view exact matches with offsets, masked snippets, probability scores, data categories, compliance standards, and full context (100 characters before and after the match).
Q. Are data scans performed on all files or only triggered files?
A. Data scans are leveraged as action steps in workflows, so only the triggering assets are scanned. Scans are performed in real-time on specific files or messages that meet your workflow trigger conditions, not on your entire repository.
Q. What sensitivity categories are available?
DoControl offers 11 sensitivity categories: Government, Financial, PII, Cryptocurrency, Credentials, Medical, Logistics, Business, Cryptographic, Networking, and Educational.
Each category includes multiple relevant data classifiers that are automatically scanned when you select that category.
Q. Can Data Scan detect sensitive information in images?
A. Yes, Data Scan includes OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities for images and PDFs. It can scan contracts, passports, screenshots, IDs, credit cards, driver's licenses, diplomas, and other documents for broader visibility into sensitive information.
Q. What happens after sensitive data is detected?
A. After the Data scan action identifies matches, you define a Conditional action to determine match criteria (such as high probability matches above 70%).
Based on the results, you can customize remediation actions according to your organization's security policies, such as removing access, notifying users, quarantining files, or triggering approval workflows.
{% hint style="success" %}
For more information, see [Data scan](/docontrol-user-guide/workflows/define-workflow-settings/action-settings/query/data-scan.md) and [PII scanning.](/docontrol-user-guide/workflows/define-workflow-settings/action-settings/query/pii-scan.md)
{% endhint %}
---
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