Salesforce environments often contain significantly more sensitive data than organizations expect. While certain fields are intentionally designed to capture structured PII, such as Email and Phone, the most meaningful exposure risk is typically found in unstructured, free-form text fields and file attachments where sensitive information is stored outside of its intended location.
Users frequently paste full customer email threads, chat transcripts, troubleshooting logs, financial documentation, identity records, medical information, and even credentials into long text fields or collaboration tools. These areas are rarely governed with the same rigor as structured data fields, making them prime locations for unexpected sensitive data exposure.
This document outlines the Salesforce objects and field types that should be prioritized for DLP scanning, based on risk, likelihood of unstructured data storage, and common real-world leakage patterns.
DLP Scanning Priorities in Salesforce
1. Case Management Objects (Highest Priority)
Support and service workflows generate large volumes of conversational and diagnostic content. These objects frequently contain pasted email threads, attachments, and customer-submitted documents.
Key Objects and Fields
Case
EmailMessage
Task
Files and Attachments
Why This Matters
These fields commonly contain:
Full customer email conversations
Screenshots or embedded logs
Financial records and invoices
Credentials or system access details
These objects should be considered foundational for any Salesforce DLP program.
2. Sales and CRM Objects (High Risk for PII and Financial Data)
Sales teams often use CRM records as informal note repositories, increasing the likelihood of unstructured sensitive data.
Custom long text fields (e.g., Notes__c)
Any Rich Text or Long Text Area fields
Custom “About” or notes fields
Why This Matters
Common exposure patterns include:
Personal background details
Financial and budget information
Internal commentary about customers
Sensitive escalation details
Structured fields such as Email and Phone contain expected PII; however, unstructured description fields represent a higher likelihood of unexpected sensitive data.
3. Opportunity and Revenue Objects (Moderate to High Priority)
Sales opportunity records frequently contain sensitive business and financial intelligence.
Custom Long Text Area fields
Why This Matters
These fields often contain:
Revenue figures and budgets
Banking or payment details
Personal circumstances of buyers
4. Notes and Activities (Critical Hotspot)
Salesforce note objects are pure free-form text repositories and should be treated as high-priority DLP targets.
Note / ContentNote
Why This Matters
These fields frequently contain:
Medical or financial information
Internal investigative notes
Because these objects are informal by design, they often accumulate high-risk data.
5. Chatter and Collaboration Objects (Very High Conversational Risk)
Collaboration tools encourage informal communication, increasing the likelihood of sensitive data sharing.
FeedAttachment / ContentDocument
Why This Matters
Employees frequently paste:
Screenshots containing sensitive information
Chatter content is highly conversational and often lightly governed.
6. Knowledge Articles (Text-Rich, Governance-Dependent Risk)
KnowledgeArticle
Versioned article content
Why This Matters
Knowledge articles may include:
Personal identifiers in case studies
Risk levels depend on governance maturity but should be included in DLP scanning.
7. Custom Objects with Long Text Fields (High Probability of Hidden Risk)
Nearly all Salesforce environments include custom objects used to capture conversations, assessments, or operational notes.
Common examples:
Field Types to Prioritize
URL fields linking to external files
Notes & Attachments related lists
Custom long text fields are among the most common sources of unexpected sensitive data exposure.
8. Messaging, Chat, and Omni-Channel Objects (Extremely High Risk)
If enabled, these objects contain raw conversational transcripts.
MessagingSession
LiveChatTranscript
Why This Matters
These records often contain:
Identity verification details
Attachments shared during chat
Full conversational histories
These objects should be prioritized in regulated environments.
9. Industry Clouds and Integrated Applications
Organizations using specialized Salesforce clouds may store regulated data in additional objects.
Examples include:
Financial Services Cloud (financial and KYC data)
CPQ (quote comments and attachments)
Field Service (work order descriptions and resolution notes)
Surveys (free-form response text)
Service Cloud Voice (transcripts)
Digital Engagement (messaging transcripts)
These deployments may significantly increase regulatory exposure.
High-Risk Field Types Across All Objects
In addition to object-level scanning, DLP programs should prioritize the following field types across the entire Salesforce schema:
Chat and transcript fields
File content stored in ContentVersion
Unstructured fields consistently present the highest likelihood of unexpected sensitive data.
Recommended DLP Strategy
To maximize risk reduction:
Phase 1 – Conversational Hotspots
Phase 2 – CRM and Revenue Objects
Lead, Contact, Account (Description fields)
Opportunity and custom note fields
Custom objects with long text fields
Phase 3 – Extended Ecosystem
Surveys and integrated apps
