Data Loss Prevention (DLP) encompasses policies and technologies to identify sensitive data and prevent its loss. Learn all you need to know to keep your data safe.
It might seem trivial to dedicate an entire wing of cybersecurity to Data Loss Prevention. Isn’t security supposed to protect data anyway? True, at the same time, a coherent and comprehensive approach is required to prevent loss and corruption of confidential and valuable data. And that’s precisely the approach DLP takes. An effective loss prevention strategy encompasses physical training, the latest technologies, and curated processes to detect and prevent leakage or loss of sensitive information, while operating within required guidelines.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Data loss prevention is about protecting your data from malicious encryption, breaches, and exfiltration. The process of deployment of a DLP might be a little complex, but at its core, the purpose of DLP remains the same as in other areas of IT operations, which is why it overlaps with areas like cybersecurity and compliance.
Some organizations still view DLP as a product they have to purchase, while this is true, there are many capable solutions in the market, and having one is crucial for DLP success. However, one of the leading DLP service providers, Gartner states, “Data loss prevention technology is most effective when supported by business-inclusive processes, rather than as a ‘set and forget’ technology platform.”
It is important to keep in mind that external attacks and breaches are not the only factors causing data loss. Some of the most damaging data loss incidents to have occurred were due to negligent or poorly thought-out data protection practices. The goal of an organization should be to operate without losing corporate data.
Understanding DLP
DLP consists of numerous functional areas. Data security and related countermeasures are included in this, for example, data governance, encryption, resiliency processes like backing up data.
There are four core activities businesses need to engage in to ensure an effective loss prevention plan:
- Identifying data: Knowing what information you need to protect is the first step in protecting it. Identifying the nature and location of sensitive data is paramount. This allows the wide range of data in an organization to be categorized on varying levels of sensitivity and format. An effective DLP strategy stems from a place of awareness towards what constitutes sensitive data and where it is stored.
- Protecting data: Various countermeasures and loss prevention controls are used to achieve data protection. Measures such as managing access controls and encryption, along with restoration plans and backups.
- Preventing accidents: Employees lose data, sometimes with surprising ease, often through accidents. Cost cutting practices like unauthorized storage of data on public cloud environments, human error of keeping weak passwords to oversharing of sensitive data are some main areas to focus on.
- Governing Data: Data, like all things, has its own life cycle, from its creation, retention, and finally, when it is destroyed. Data governance policies aim to protect data from loss throughout its life cycle, while complying with guidelines for storing sensitive data.
You might notice there are many similarities between DLP and Data security. The two areas of Data protection overlap now and then, but they are two distinct processes. Data security comprises the latest technologies, controls, and practices that shield the data from unauthorized access and breaches. Data security strategies and control measures do not share the same overview as DLP. These processes do not categorize data and classify it; they also do not focus on preventing accidental data loss.
DLP really takes a much wider view of things. Fundamentally, these practices are there to prevent sensitive information from slipping through the cracks, whether that’s due to a breach, a leak, or just someone looking where they shouldn’t. By bringing all your rules and policies under one roof, it provides businesses with a single control panel for their data defenses, which is a huge timesaver.
But it’s not just about static rules. A good DLP system is constantly watching how people actually behave with that data. If the DLP system notices an employee suddenly emailing a bunch of files outside the company, it is going to flag the user immediately. It won’t take the gamble of it being an honest mistake, and it prepares for a genuine cyberattack. It also loops in the SOC team, so they can stay on top of things. Either way, it is the DLP software that does the heavy lifting in most of these situations.
Three Types of Data Loss Prevention
When you look at the landscape of DLP, three specific types tend to dominate the conversation:
- Network DLP: This is all about securing your data while it is being transmitted from one place to another. Since data in transit is often vulnerable, individuals with malicious tendencies love to try to intercept traffic between email servers or apps. Network DLP acts as a watchdog in these scenarios. It constantly monitors the flow of traffic across the network, looking for any signs of data loss and instantly flagging transfers that look suspicious.
- Storage/Cloud DLP: While the first type handles motion, this one focuses on “data at rest.” The goal here is to identify and lock down sensitive information wherever it happens to be residing. Whether that data is stored on-site, in a public or private cloud environment, or spread across a hybrid environment, this solution classifies it and usually applies encryption to keep it protected from unauthorized access.
- Endpoint DLP: Finally, you have the device level. Endpoint DLP is designed to secure the actual hardware like smartphones, laptops, and servers that connect to your internal network. It works by monitoring the client side for any potential leaks, while also enforcing the “house rules” that keep things secure, such as requiring strong passwords, managing access controls, and ensuring encryption is active.
Why pursue Data Loss Prevention?
Why is DLP worth the investment? The simple answer is that the risk landscape is deteriorating fast. We recently saw a breach where a data broker effectively lost the social security number of almost every American. It is a massive vulnerability. Even giants like Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Marriott aren’t safe. When these incidents eventually do happen, the fallout is extremely expensive, and the biggest hit for companies comes in the form of reputational damage that is hard to shake. Plus, it usually puts you directly in the crosshairs of regulatory bodies.
While laws don’t always mandate specific tools like DLP, it is often the only practical way to stay on the right side of the fence. GDPR and CCPA, for instance, impose strict penalties for leaking consumer data. You need a mechanism to stop that. HIPAA is not unlike the rest; lose control of patient records and sensitive medical information, and you face significant fines. DLP is often the best way to prove you were trying your best to protect the information.
The Ultimate Guide to DLP
What is actually necessary to be successful in preventing data loss?
Nowadays, most people are aware of the importance of data loss prevention. IT professionals who handle computers are aware of how to implement data loss prevention. They adhere to certain guidelines for every project, such as recording their actions and stating their requirements. Additionally, there are certain precautions taken by those involved in data loss prevention that truly contribute to its effectiveness.
- Identifying and classifying information: You must choose what is truly important because not all data is equally significant. This includes items that people frequently overlook, such as files, emails, and documents. To ensure the best protection, a good data loss prevention solution should allow you to prioritize and mark data, such as emails and documents. In this manner, your private information, including emails and documents, will be secure.
- Securing the weakest points: Those who wish to cause trouble are adept at identifying weaknesses. These flaws can occasionally be related to people rather than computers. You must ensure that the information is only accessible to the appropriate individuals. This implies that you must put controls in place so that workers can only view the information they require to perform their duties and nothing else.
- Cloud backups are crucial: The data that is kept in the cloud needs to be backed up. This way we have copies of our data in places, which is called geographic redundancy. We can promptly recover our data in the event of an emergency. This is a component of protecting our data, which is what we want when attempting to safeguard our cloud backups. Having cloud backups enables us to be ready and quickly return to normal in the event that something goes wrong with them.
- User awareness is very important: Employees and contractors who work for a company may unintentionally do things that result in data loss. Therefore, it makes sense to regularly train them to help them avoid making small mistakes that could cause major issues. People can actually contribute to improving data security when they are aware of how their actions impact data security. The key to this is user awareness, which makes it extremely important.
Data loss prevention is well supported by good cyber hygiene. This is due to the fact that things like timely software updates, password changes, and the use of two-factor authentication make it extremely difficult for unauthorized individuals to access your data loss prevention systems. By taking these precautions, data loss prevention is safer.
