Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) refers to tools which prevent employees or users from sending sensitive or confidential data outside the company’s network. DLP solutions let network administrators control the information that users can transfer.

An example of this would be an employee trying to send a customer document from the business email to their personal email. In that scenario, the employee would be denied access.

Organizations invest in DLP solutions to protect both against insider threats and because of local regulatory requirements.

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Why Enterprises Invest in DLP Solutions

DLPs can play a vital role in addressing cybersecurity and compliance challenges. Enterprises use DLP solutions for:

●  Compliance -  Regulations increasingly require data monitoring and data security solutions. DLP can help businesses stay compliant with privacy laws and regulations such as GDPR, PCI DSS, CCPA, etc.

●  IP protection -An effective DLP solution can help prevent data theft of company secrets, including patents and source code.

● Visibility - A DLP solution helps organizations understand data stored across endpoints and thus helps track both data in-rest and in-transit, which is a compliance requirement.

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Different Types of DLP Solutions

●  Email - Monitor incoming and outgoing messages carefully, to protect the enterprise from phishing and social engineering attacks.

●  Network - Network administrators must constantly monitor data in transit on the network to detect any discrepancies that might indicate sensitive data is being removed.

●  Cloud - For organizations that work with cloud solutions a cloud DLP will ensure that data in the cloud is monitored and kept secure.

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Deploying DLP Solutions

DLP requires a thought-out strategy to ensure smooth deployment. Below are some guidelines to keep in mind.

●   Prioritize your data: Data is not created equal. Start by prioritizing the most sensitive data to your organization - the data that would do the most damage if leaked.

●  Classify your data: Depending on your business priorities, categorize your data into multiple buckets - customer data, payment data, employee data, etc.     

●  Monitor all data: It is important to track and monitor all data flows within the organization 

●  Employee Training: Conduct regular enterprise-wide training programs to educate employees on the importance of data security best practices.

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