Policy templates

Drako ships six policy templates — industry-specific .drako.yaml presets. Start from a template and override only what you need.

Using templates

drako templates list              # show available templates
drako templates show fintech      # preview full template YAML

Template inheritance

Apply a template via the extends field. Your config overrides anything the template sets:

extends: fintech
governance_level: balanced

# Override just this one setting:
policies:
  hitl:
    approval_timeout_minutes: 60

Deep-merge rules:

Scalar values (mode, retention_days) are replaced by your override.
Lists (permitted_tools, tool_types) are replaced entirely — not appended.
Nested objects are merged recursively.

To preview the fully resolved config after inheritance, run drako config show.

Available templates

base

Sensible defaults for any project. The foundation — every other template extends this.

startup

Balanced for speed and safety. More permissive than enterprise, more structured than base.

fintech

PCI compliance, spend caps, strict DLP. MiFID II, PSD2, SOX, SEC Rule 15c3-5.

healthcare

HIPAA alignment, PHI detection, 6-year audit retention. HIPAA Privacy Rule, HITECH Act.

eu-ai-act

EU AI Act Articles 9, 11, 12, 14. High-risk rules take effect August 2, 2026.

enterprise

Maximum governance. Intent verification, A2A security, topology monitoring.

Template details

base — Recommended defaults

The foundation. Every other template extends this. Use it for projects that don’t fit a specific industry vertical.

Governance level: autopilot
Posture: Audit-first. Nothing is blocked by default.

governance_level: autopilot

policies:
  odd:
    enforcement_mode: audit
    default_policy: allow

  magnitude:
    max_spend_per_action_usd: 10.00
    max_spend_per_session_usd: 50.00
    max_records_per_action: 100

  dlp:
    mode: audit

  hitl:
    mode: audit
    triggers:
      tool_types: [write, execute, payment]
    timeout_action: allow
    approval_timeout_minutes: 30

  intent_verification:
    mode: "off"

  circuit_breaker:
    agent_level:
      failure_threshold: 5
      time_window_seconds: 60
      recovery_timeout_seconds: 30

  audit:
    enabled: true
    retention_days: 7

Key design decisions:

HITL in audit mode: logs that approval would be needed but doesn’t pause execution.
DLP in audit mode: PII is logged but not blocked.
Short audit retention (7 days) — extend for compliance requirements.
Per-action spend limit of $10 — tighten for production.

startup — Balanced for speed and safety

For startups that need to move fast without breaking compliance.

Governance level: balanced
Posture: Audit-first with more generous limits.

governance_level: balanced

policies:
  odd:
    enforcement_mode: audit
    default_policy: allow

  magnitude:
    max_spend_per_action_usd: 20.00
    max_spend_per_session_usd: 100.00
    max_records_per_action: 200

  dlp:
    mode: audit

  hitl:
    mode: audit
    triggers:
      tool_types: [payment, execute]  # Only the riskiest types
    timeout_action: allow
    approval_timeout_minutes: 60

  intent_verification:
    mode: "off"

  circuit_breaker:
    agent_level:
      failure_threshold: 10           # More tolerant than enterprise
      time_window_seconds: 120
      recovery_timeout_seconds: 30

  audit:
    enabled: true
    retention_days: 30

What’s different from base:

HITL only triggers for payment and execute (not write).
Higher magnitude limits per session ($100, 200 records).
Longer circuit breaker tolerance (10 failures vs. 5).
30-day audit retention.

Run drako upgrade --balanced to enable DLP enforcement and ODD enforcement once you’ve reviewed the audit logs.

fintech — Financial services

For payment platforms, trading systems, and financial data processors.

Governance level: strict
Compliance references: MiFID II, PSD2, SOX, SEC Rule 15c3-5
Posture: Enforcement active. Default-deny for ODD. Cryptographic audit trail.

governance_level: strict

policies:
  odd:
    enforcement_mode: enforce
    default_policy: deny          # Block unknown tools

  magnitude:
    max_spend_per_action_usd: 100.00
    max_spend_per_session_usd: 500.00
    max_records_per_action: 50

  dlp:
    mode: enforce
    sensitivity: high

  hitl:
    mode: enforce
    triggers:
      tool_types: [payment, write, execute]
      spend_above_usd: 50.00
      trust_score_below: 70
    timeout_action: reject
    approval_timeout_minutes: 15

  intent_verification:
    mode: enforce
    required_for:
      tool_types: [payment, write]
    anti_replay: true

  circuit_breaker:
    agent_level:
      failure_threshold: 3
      time_window_seconds: 60
      recovery_timeout_seconds: 120

  audit:
    enabled: true
    cryptographic: true           # SHA-256 hash chain + signatures
    retention_days: 365           # MiFID II: 5 years minimum, SOX: 7 years

Compliance coverage:

Standard	Requirement	Drako implementation
MiFID II Art. 16	Recordkeeping	Cryptographic audit trail
PSD2 SCA	Strong Customer Authentication	HITL for payment tools
SOX Sec. 404	Internal controls	ODD + HITL

healthcare — HIPAA-aligned

For healthcare applications processing Protected Health Information (PHI).

Governance level: strict
Compliance references: HIPAA Privacy Rule, HIPAA Security Rule, HITECH Act
Posture: Maximum DLP enforcement. Conservative trust thresholds. 6-year audit retention.

governance_level: strict

policies:
  odd:
    enforcement_mode: enforce
    default_policy: deny

  magnitude:
    max_spend_per_action_usd: 50.00
    max_spend_per_session_usd: 200.00
    max_records_per_action: 25    # HIPAA minimum-necessary principle

  dlp:
    mode: enforce
    sensitivity: high

  hitl:
    mode: enforce
    triggers:
      tool_types: [write, execute]
      trust_score_below: 80       # Higher trust bar for PHI
    timeout_action: reject
    approval_timeout_minutes: 10  # Shorter window for PHI access

  intent_verification:
    mode: enforce
    required_for:
      tool_types: [write, execute]
    anti_replay: true

  circuit_breaker:
    agent_level:
      failure_threshold: 3
      time_window_seconds: 60
      recovery_timeout_seconds: 120

  audit:
    enabled: true
    cryptographic: true
    retention_days: 2190          # 6 years (HIPAA requirement)

Compliance coverage:

Regulation	Requirement	Drako implementation
HIPAA § 164.312(b)	Audit controls	Cryptographic audit trail
HIPAA § 164.502(b)	Minimum necessary	`max_records_per_action: 25`
HIPAA § 164.308(a)(5)	Access controls	ODD + HITL
HITECH Act	Breach notification readiness	Audit trail provides evidence chain

eu-ai-act — EU AI Act high-risk compliance

For AI systems classified as high-risk under EU AI Act (Regulation 2024/1689). High-risk rules take effect August 2, 2026.

Governance level: strict
Compliance references: EU AI Act Art. 9, 11, 12, 14; ISO 42001
Posture: Full enforcement. 10-year audit retention. All four Act articles covered.

governance_level: strict

policies:
  odd:
    enforcement_mode: enforce
    default_policy: deny

  magnitude:
    max_spend_per_action_usd: 50.00
    max_spend_per_session_usd: 200.00
    max_records_per_action: 50

  dlp:
    mode: enforce
    sensitivity: high

  hitl:
    mode: enforce
    triggers:
      tool_types: [write, execute, payment]
      trust_score_below: 70
    timeout_action: reject
    approval_timeout_minutes: 30

  intent_verification:
    mode: enforce
    required_for:
      tool_types: [payment, write, execute]
    anti_replay: true

  circuit_breaker:
    agent_level:
      failure_threshold: 3
      time_window_seconds: 60
      recovery_timeout_seconds: 60

  audit:
    enabled: true
    cryptographic: true
    retention_days: 3650          # 10 years (EU AI Act Art. 12)

Article coverage:

Article	Requirement	Drako implementation
Art. 9	Risk management system	97 scan rules, ODD enforcement, magnitude limits
Art. 11	Technical documentation	Agent BOM, compliance reports, context versioning
Art. 12	Record-keeping (10 years)	Cryptographic audit trail (`retention_days: 3650`)
Art. 14	Human oversight	HITL checkpoints (`mode: enforce`, `timeout_action: reject`)

Run drako scan . --format compliance to get a gap report against these four articles.

enterprise — Maximum governance

For large organizations with the strictest internal compliance posture. Includes A2A authentication and topology monitoring.

Governance level: strict
Posture: Everything enforced. Zero default-allow. Cryptographic trail. A2A secured.

governance_level: strict

policies:
  odd:
    enforcement_mode: enforce
    default_policy: deny

  magnitude:
    max_spend_per_action_usd: 25.00
    max_spend_per_session_usd: 100.00
    max_records_per_action: 25
    enforcement_mode: enforce

  dlp:
    mode: enforce
    sensitivity: high

  hitl:
    mode: enforce
    triggers:
      tool_types: [write, execute, payment, network]
      trust_score_below: 80
      spend_above_usd: 10.00
    timeout_action: reject
    approval_timeout_minutes: 15

  intent_verification:
    mode: enforce
    required_for:
      tool_types: [payment, write, execute]
    anti_replay: true
    intent_ttl_seconds: 120       # Shorter token TTL

  circuit_breaker:
    agent_level:
      failure_threshold: 3
      time_window_seconds: 60
      recovery_timeout_seconds: 180

  audit:
    enabled: true
    cryptographic: true
    retention_days: 365

  a2a:
    mode: enforce
    auth:
      method: did_exchange
      auto_rotate: true
      rotation_hours: 12          # Rotate credentials every 12h

  topology:
    enabled: true

What’s unique to enterprise:

HITL triggers for the network tool type (not just write/execute/payment).
A2A authentication enforced (DID-based credential exchange).
Credential auto-rotation every 12 hours.
Topology monitoring enabled (circular dependency and resource contention detection).
Shorter intent TTL (120s vs. 300s default).
HITL spend trigger at $10 (very tight).

Customizing a template

Extend any template and override specific sections. Your overrides layer on top:

# Start from healthcare, but relax audit retention for dev environments
extends: healthcare
governance_level: balanced

policies:
  audit:
    retention_days: 30    # Override: healthcare default is 2190

  hitl:
    mode: audit           # Override: healthcare default is enforce

Lists (like permitted_tools or tool_types) are replaced entirely when you override them — they are not merged or appended. Always include the complete list in your override.

Get Started

Scanning

Runtime Enforcement

Configuration

Observability & Compliance

Integrations

Policy templates

Using templates

Template inheritance

Available templates

base

startup

fintech

healthcare

eu-ai-act

enterprise

Template details

Customizing a template

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Scanning

Runtime Enforcement

Configuration

Observability & Compliance

Integrations

​Using templates

​Template inheritance

​Available templates

base

startup

fintech

healthcare

eu-ai-act

enterprise

​Template details

​Customizing a template

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Using templates

Template inheritance

Available templates

Template details

Customizing a template