Tools / Datadog Interview questions
What happens when Sensitive Data Scanner detects a match?
The scanner applies whichever action the matching rule is configured with: redact (replace the sensitive value with a placeholder), hash (replace it with a non-reversible hash, preserving the ability to spot repeated occurrences without exposing the value), or simply flag/tag the event without altering its content.
This happens as part of processing, before the log is fully indexed, so a redaction action means the sensitive value is prevented from ever being stored in plain text in the searchable index - not cleaned up after the fact.
Because rules can be scoped to specific log sources or namespaces, teams can apply stricter handling (like automatic redaction) to logs known to be higher risk while leaving lower-risk sources untouched or only flagged for awareness.
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