A software defined data security level method, computer program product, and data processing system. One embodiment may comprise intercepting, by a processor at a data security layer, an input/output (IO) request from a local software application, wherein the IO request includes a header and a data payload, analyzing, by the processor at the data security layer, the data payload of the IO request relative to a service level agreement (SLA), assigning, by the processor at the data security layer, a security level to the IO request based on the analysis.