--- sourceDocument: Australia Platform security sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-security Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Platform security ft:clusterId : - psec bundleId : - psec workflow : - Platform --- # Data protection # Data protection {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 20, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Data protection ServiceNow provides comprehensive data protection tools integrated with AI capabilities to secure your data throughout its lifecycle. Key components like the Key Management Framework, Field Encryption, and Data Classification work together to safeguard sensitive information, including personally identifiable information (PII), within your ServiceNow instance. Now Assist enhances security by applying controls that manage data sharing, anonymization, and privacy policies. Show full answer Show less ## Data Transit, Storage, and Privacy Controls * **User data usage policy:** Learn how Now Assist transmits, processes, and protects your data, with options to mask sensitive data and limit data sharing for AI model improvements. * **Configuring Data Privacy for ServiceNow Otto:** Customize de-identification of PII before it reaches large language models by specifying data types and anonymization rules. * **Configure Now Assist privacy policies:** Establish policies to anonymize sensitive information during AI processing. * **Assign the data steward role:** Designate a responsible individual to make data sharing decisions related to Now Assist. * **Opt out of data sharing:** Choose to opt out of sharing instance data with ServiceNow for AI model improvements via the Admin console. ## Sensitive Data Discovery and Classification * **Key Management Framework:** Manage encryption keys that control access to sensitive data, including those used by AI agents and workflows. * **Field Encryption:** Protect sensitive data at rest by encrypting specific fields, ensuring AI agents access only authorized encrypted data. * **Data Classification:** Apply classification labels to identify sensitive content across your instance, clarifying what data AI agents can access and where protections apply. ## ServiceNow Otto for Vault and AI Data Kit * **ServiceNow Otto for Vault:** Utilize generative AI to create custom data patterns, verify role-based encryption key access, and schedule data discovery jobs to detect PII or PHI. * **Schedule Data Discovery jobs:** Run one-time or recurring scans to identify sensitive data inputs for large language models. * **Check role access for encrypted columns:** Monitor which user roles have encryption/decryption key access to maintain encryption security posture. * **Generate custom data patterns:** Create and apply regular expression patterns from plain-language descriptions to enhance sensitive data detection. * **AI Data Kit:** Scan datasets for sensitive information and cleanse data before use in AI evaluations, ensuring safer AI processing. Learn how ServiceNow security tools such as the Key Management Framework, Field Encryption, and Data Classification work to keep your data secure. Now Assist keeps your data secure throughout the AI lifecycle. Additional controls let you manage how personally identifiable information (PII) is handled, who can make data sharing decisions, and how sensitive data is discovered and protected across your instance. ## Data transit, storage, and privacy controls {#naai-data-protection__section_data_handling} The following topics, all in AI Admin Hub, describe how Now Assist handles your data and how to configure privacy controls for your instance. [User data usage policy](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=user-data-usage-policy-now-assist&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US) : Understand how Now Assist transmits, processes, and protects your data, including options to mask sensitive data and control data sharing for model improvements. [Configuring Data Privacy for ServiceNow Otto](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/yHBE9cKYimQjblLq~llrhA "Configure a data privacy advanced configuration to de-identify personally identifiable information (PII) in generative AI applications.") : Configure how PII is de-identified before it reaches the large language model, including which data types are caught and how anonymization rules are applied. [Configure Now Assist privacy policies](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=configure-privacy-policies&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US) : Set up privacy policies to control how sensitive information is anonymized during AI processing. [Assign the data steward role](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=assign-data-steward-role&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US) : Assign a data steward, the role responsible for making data sharing decisions for Now Assist on your instance. [Opt out of data sharing for Now Assist](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=opt-out-of-data-sharing-for-now-assist&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US) : Opt your instance out of data sharing with ServiceNow for AI model improvements from the Admin console Settings page. ## Sensitive data discovery and classification {#naai-data-protection__section_data_discovery} The following topics describe how to use ServiceNow Otto for Vault and Now Assist Data Kit to discover, classify, and protect sensitive data on your instance. [Key Management Framework](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/MHiryPH57IQmrXZUhh6nrA "Use the Key Management Framework (KMF) to generate, exchange, store, use, and replace the cryptographic keys used to encrypt and decrypt sensitive data on your ServiceNow instance.") : Use the Key Management Framework to create and manage encryption keys that control access to sensitive data on your instance, including keys used by AI agents and agentic workflows. [Field Encryption](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/PFznU_xdGqqLxsb6B~UdIA "Protect encrypted data on your instance from unauthorized users, scripts, or system processes using Field Encryption.") : Encrypt individual fields on your instance to protect sensitive data at rest, ensuring that AI agents can only access encrypted fields when they have the appropriate permissions. [Data classification](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/D6c9hQ3D51dJHB5lcpU53Q "Group data by type, using pre-defined or user-defined data classifications. If you have an assigned data classification administrator or auditor role, you can administer different data classes or visually analyze the current state of different types of data within the instance.") : Define and apply data classification labels to identify sensitive content across your instance, helping you understand what data your AI agents can access and where protection controls are needed. [ServiceNow Otto for Vault](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/cTeG9sa8~lsYeBX~e3Dbpg "With ServiceNow Otto for Vault, you can generate custom data patterns, check role access for an encrypted column, and schedule data discovery jobs. ServiceNow Otto for Vault can make it easier for you to perform common tasks without going to multiple systems.") : Learn about the generative AI skills available in ServiceNow Otto for Vault for generating custom data patterns, checking role access for encrypted columns, and scheduling data discovery jobs. [Schedule a Data Discovery job with ServiceNow Otto for Vault](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/X8s2P0~ZA_efQSP4UfwT3A "Use the schedule data discovery job skill to schedule one-time or recurring Data Discovery jobs with ServiceNow Otto for Vault. Data Discovery jobs can detect sensitive data such as PII or PHI provided as input to the Azure OpenAI model.") : Schedule one-time or recurring Data Discovery jobs to detect sensitive data such as PII or PHI that may be present in inputs to the LLM. [Check role access for an encrypted column with ServiceNow Otto for Vault](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vuGl_1oOfWC7UHqcKnTAtQ "Use the check role access for encrypted column skill to identify user roles that have access to encryption and decryption keys in your instance.") : Identify which user roles have access to encryption and decryption keys in your instance to monitor your encryption access posture. [Generate a custom data pattern by using ServiceNow Otto for Vault](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5yWBYj6sBMt7k7kfpM_AjQ "Use the generate custom data pattern skill to create a custom regular expression data pattern from your description and add it as an active data pattern to your instance.") : Create a custom regular expression data pattern from a plain-language description and add it as an active data pattern on your instance. [Find and cleanse sensitive data](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=sensitive-data&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US) : AI Data Kit: Scan your datasets for sensitive data including PII, and cleanse identified data before it is used in AI evaluations.