Data leak prevention using DLP security keeps your business safe from breaches and helps you meet global compliance mandates. Moreover, DLP solutions allow you to monitor sensitive data flows across your organization, alerting you when sensitive information is moved outside your environment.
A DLP program should be implemented in phases to prioritize what needs the most protection. It should also involve stakeholders from engineering, operations, legal and sales.
Endpoint
Data leak prevention using DLP security on an endpoint device protects sensitive data from being transferred, copied, or stored outside the company network. It is essential as employees are increasingly working from home.
DLP software controls the data that users can transfer from their corporate laptops and devices, including USB drives, mobile phones, or cloud storage repositories. The software uses business rules to classify and protect confidential and critical information so unauthorized users cannot accidentally or maliciously share data that poses an organizational risk.
Typically, DLP security software starts with an inventory of all the data stored on a company’s network and identifies the value of each data type. Once a classification system is established, the next step is to create policies for handling and securing the data.
A common way to ensure data is protected is by analyzing metadata and content to identify which files contain sensitive information. Some DLP products can perform this process manually, while others use machine learning or other techniques to detect data that needs to be protected automatically.
Endpoint DLP can monitor various file types and audit activities without a policy match. It can be helpful if users copy files onto personal USBs or use Bluetooth applications not allowed in your network’s DLP policy settings.
Cloud
Data leak prevention using DLP security is essential for organizations to protect their cloud assets. These solutions help detect unauthorized data access and use and prevent the leaking of sensitive information. DLP technologies can be applied to various cloud-based services, including file sharing, email, and cloud storage. They can also be integrated with other cloud-based tools and technologies, such as secure web gateways and zero-trust infrastructures. In addition to preventing unauthorized cloud use, these solutions can ensure that data is not accidentally transferred or lost in transit. They can monitor user activity and notify security staff if an unauthorized data transfer occurs, such as someone uploading a document to their email account or an employee deleting a sensitive file from the company’s storage repository. These types of incidents can result in significant financial loss and reputation damage to an organization. Organizations need to develop a clear and comprehensive DLP strategy.
A DLP strategy can identify and protect sensitive data by applying appropriate protection protocols, such as encryption at rest or in transit. It can also classify data so security teams can easily find batches of sensitive files to prioritize and respond quickly.
The first step to implementing a cloud DLP solution is to determine your primary objective for the solution. It is often a critical factor in selecting the exemplary deployment architecture and combination of features.
Mobile
Data leak prevention using DLP security on a mobile device effectively reduces the risk of data theft and loss. It allows companies to enforce policies to protect sensitive information, prevent breaches and ensure regulatory compliance. The first step in deploying DLP is to identify the data that needs to be protected. It can include credit card details, email addresses and Social Security numbers. It may also include health information covered by privacy regulations, such as the GDPR and HIPAA. DLP uses content analysis to find and block sensitive data based on context. It means analyzing words, file checksums, partial data matching and other techniques. This data analysis is typically used to prevent unauthorized access and disclosure of PII, financial and regulatory information, source codes, blueprints and other confidential data. DLP software informs users of data usage that is against a company’s policy or exceeds an organization’s defined thresholds for risk and compliance.
A DLP solution also helps prevent data loss on a mobile device by blocking unauthorized transfers of personal information to unauthorized parties. It can also protect data at rest and in transit through the network and cloud channels. A good DLP solution includes features that help manage and respond to incidents, such as automated incident remediation workflows and one-click Smart Responses. It also provides flexibility to fine-tune policies and balance productivity with security.
Network
The proliferation of business communication channels has increased the amount of sensitive information that can be exposed to unauthorized users. It can include personal and financial data, intellectual property and regulatory data. Consequently, the need for data leak prevention has grown. Businesses can face hefty fines from regulatory agencies and the loss of customer trust and brand value. Organizations need to identify and classify their confidential data to prevent data leaks. It can be accomplished by using a DLP solution that provides automated data discovery and classification. This process uncovers structured and unstructured data everywhere in a company’s digital environment, including endpoints, network devices and cloud services. It also helps ensure that sensitive data is not misclassified, leaving it open to theft and damage.
Additionally, DLP can help protect data in motion by ensuring it is not routed outside the organization or stored in insecure locations. It may be done by using technologies like encryption. A good DLP solution should also have user behavior monitoring capabilities. It can identify and flag unauthorized activity, such as screen capture or copy/paste operations that involve sensitive data. In addition, many DLP solutions also allow organizations to create and maintain policies for data handling and remediation. It can benefit companies that adhere to strict regulatory requirements.
