Glossary · Security & governance
Data Classification
Assigning data to documented sensitivity or impact classes so handling, access, retention, sharing, and incident rules follow the consequences of disclosure or loss.
Why it matters
An AI pipeline cannot apply proportionate controls if source documents, prompts, traces, and generated artifacts are treated as equally sensitive.
In practice
Classify data at ingestion, carry the label through derived artifacts, restrict tools and destinations by class, and define how labels change after transformation or aggregation.
Common confusion
Data classification describes protection requirements. It is not the same as a machine-learning classification task or a claim that the data is accurate.
Related terms
Sources
Browse the learning paths to see this term in context — every lesson is free to read.