Policy Guide › Categorizing Events › How Does Categorization Work? › Category Scores

Category Scores

Each category specified in a trigger must have a category score (set by the policy administrator). There are no upper or lower limits, but typical scores range from zero to 100. The category score is an indication of confidence; the higher the score, the greater the confidence that an email fits the associated category.

CA DLP uses these scores when assigning categories automatically or when assisting a user to manually choose a category (or categories). The scores also determine the order in which categories are listed in the Categorize dialog.

Briefly, if you set a category score to:

100 or higher

This indicates certainty. Such scores indicate to CA DLP that an email or file definitely fits the associated category. Such categories are always stored with the associated event in the CMS database.

50 to 99

This indicates 'likeliness'. Such scores indicate to CA DLP that an email or file is likely to fit the associated category. If the highest scoring category is between 50-99:

• For emails or files detected by a client agent, this category plus any others scoring 50-99 are always listed in the Categorize dialog. (Categories scoring less than 50 are not shown in the dialog; CA DLP assumes the file or e-mail is less likely to match these low scoring categories.)
• For emails or files detected by any other method, this category is automatically stored with the event in the CMS database.

Less than 50

This indicates some uncertainty (or possibility). If the highest scoring category is less than 50:

• For emails or files captured by a client agent, all categories are listed in the Categorize dialog. This is because, with all categories scoring less than 50, CA DLP cannot confidently determine the most likely categories.
• or emails or files captured by any other method, all categories are discarded. The event is saved on the CMS without an associated category because CA DLP cannot confidently determine what the category should be.

We recommend you include an 'None of the Above' fallback category if all your categories score less than 50.