A system and method for providing a cost-effective, metadata independent mechanism for the determination of file types. When a user makes a request to store data, the storage device communicates with a storage management software function. The storage management software invokes a file determination system in order to determine the true file type of the file. The file determination system inspects the file header or raw data information and utilizes a structure or an algorithm that specifies, for various file types, the necessary data and patterns required in the file to be of this type, and determines the true file type. Thus storage management software can compare the true file type of a file being inspected to rules established by an administrator and subsequently inform the storage device to either accept or not accept the users request to store data.