> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.natsec.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.natsec.io/about/elements/data/categories.md).

# Categories

A `Category` is a means of denoting a core feature that is key in distinguishing [Entities](/about/elements/data/entities.md) - for now, we have them broken out as follows, but this may change and we will keep this page and the [Data](/about/elements/data.md) updated accordingly.

Feel free to share [Feedback](/about/feedback.md) as you have it!

## Types of Categories

Right now we are using the following `Categories`:

### Government

{% hint style="success" %}
**`Government`** applies to any of the **`Entities`** that are governmental in nature
{% endhint %}

We believe this will generally be somewhat simple, but there are [Entities](/about/elements/data/entities.md) with very close ties to [#non-profit](#non-profit "mention")s we expect may take some disambiguation.

> **EXAMPLE**: `Army Futures Command` is a government `Organization` and has various `Projects` associated with it).

### Academic

{% hint style="success" %}
We applied **`Academic`** to **`Entities`** that have a  primary tie to universities or other educational institutions. 
{% endhint %}

Although the majority of these are also `Non-Profit` (at least nominally), the distinction is significant enough to warrant a separate category in our judgment.

> **EXAMPLE**: `Stanford` offering of a class focused on `Hacking for Defense`, which is a separate `Project` `Entity` with the `Non-Profit` `Category`.

### Non-Profit

{% hint style="success" %}
**`Non-Profit`** is applied to non-**`Academic`** **`Entities`** that do not operate for a profit as **`Commercial`** counterparts do.
{% endhint %}

While sometimes challenging to distinguish from `Government` or `Academic` efforts (at least, we often find it confusing), this distinction applies to a number of `Entities` we think are important (such as us!).

> **EXAMPLE**: The `Common Mission Project`, which runs `Hacking for Defense` at universities around the country in coordination with the `National Security Innovation Network`.

### Commercial

{% hint style="success" %}
We use **`Commercial`** with **`Entities`** whose primary goal is financial gain as measured by stakeholder value or other similar metric.
{% endhint %}

These are generally wonderful teammates and great folks who care about the mission as much as the rest of us (but it is important to understand how their incentives and structures differ from other `Entities`).

> **EXAMPLE**: `BMNT`, a consultancy which originated the `Hacking for Defense` method and spun-off the `Common Mission Project` as a separate `Non-Profit` `Entity`.