Enhancing Data Security with Custom PII Detection Rulesets in GitLab
In today’s data-driven development landscape, protecting sensitive information is more critical than ever. GitLab has introduced the ability to define custom rulesets for detecting Personally Identifiable Information (PII), offering teams a more tailored and powerful way to enhance data security across their DevSecOps pipelines.
Out of the box, GitLab already provides intelligent PII detection, but not all organisations have the same compliance requirements or the same types of sensitive data to manage. With this new functionality, available through GitLab's Data Classification and Protection features, teams can now create their own rulesets to scan for specific patterns relevant to their unique security needs.
The new custom detection rules allow for the definition of target formats such as phone numbers, national ID numbers, client codes, or any domain-specific identifiers. These are especially valuable in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, or government, where data policies often go beyond standard frameworks.
Teams can implement these rulesets directly within the secure coding workflow, catching potential leaks of sensitive data through code, merge requests, and CI/CD pipelines—before they ever reach production. This prevents compliance issues, improves organisational trust, and ensures better security posture throughout the development lifecycle.
For teams looking to adopt or scale GitLab's DevSecOps capabilities with enhanced data security, IDEA GitLab Solutions offers expert consulting, licensing, and support services. We proudly serve clients across the UK, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, as well as remote teams in Israel, South Africa, and Paraguay. Contact us to learn how our specialists can help you unlock GitLab's full potential while securing your sensitive data.