Data breaches and loss are no longer just a nuisance — they can cost organizations their reputation, customers, and profits. DLP security strategies and tools prevent unauthorized access to or exfiltration of sensitive information by monitoring data in transit over the internet, between networks, or on devices. These strategies include identifying critical data, encrypting it, and blocking unauthorized transfers.
Inventorying Your Data
Using a DLP solution that can scan files at rest and in transit and secure data can help protect organizations from internal and external threats. However, the effectiveness of DLP depends on how it is implemented and managed. DLP security solutions can discover and track sensitive data within a network, on employee devices, or in cloud storage applications. They can then identify and block any attempts to send the data outside the corporate infrastructure. These DLP systems can protect against external attacks and insider threats, including disgruntled employees, contractors, and former employees.
While many of these breaches are caused by malicious attackers, negligence and accidental exposure can also play a role. Employees may accidentally share data with others via email or filesharing services, fail to encrypt data before sending it or leave sensitive information sitting on unprotected physical devices. DLP can help prevent these accidental leaks by educating employees and prompting them to take cybersecurity actions.
When choosing a DLP solution, starting small with a pilot program is best, and gradually growing it over time. This helps reduce the risk of unforeseen bugs or issues with the system and ensures that staff will be trained to handle sensitive information. It also allows IT to determine the best deployment options for their specific environment. DLP cybersecurity measures play a critical role in safeguarding sensitive information, employing advanced technologies and policies to proactively identify, monitor, and mitigate the risk of unauthorized data disclosure within an organization.
Defining Critical Data
Data breaches can have a devastating impact on a company. They can damage a brand’s reputation, lead to financial losses, and expose intellectual property to competitors. Data loss prevention solutions can help prevent such incidents by monitoring for data exfiltration and identifying sensitive information. To be most effective, DLP solutions should start with a clear definition of critical data that includes everything from financial records to proprietary information to personally identifiable information (PII). Once this list is established, DLP solutions can scan for and identify the organization’s most critical information.
Once this information is identified, DLP solutions can create security policies that dictate how that data should be handled, stored, and transmitted. This helps ensure that authorized personnel only access the information and always ends up in the right hands.
DLP systems can monitor data in motion (email, file sharing, or other cloud services) on endpoint devices or when archived. They can also control data transfer through access controls and encryption.
Ideally, DLP solutions should provide analytical reports and notifications that can be used to fine-tune a business’s overall information handling policies. This can include modifying existing procedures that an analysis shows are ineffective, reducing compliance risks, or improving employee training. This can help minimize the cost of a data breach and its associated expenses, such as legal fees, regulatory fines, and costs related to data recovery.
Encrypting Data
DLP is a critical component of the data security landscape. It works alongside other tools to monitor data movement in and out of the organization, detecting patterns that indicate sensitive information. It also encrypts sensitive data to prevent it from being compromised by hackers.
Many cyberattacks involve stealing or exposing internal data for financial gain. This data can include intellectual property, customer records, personal health or financial information, employee records, and more. Many of these attacks are initiated by insiders such as employees, ex-employees, contractors, and vendors. They can expose data through email, filesharing services, misconfigured software settings, or unsecured devices like mobile phones and laptops.
To protect against these threats, businesses must create clear DLP policies. These should be regularly updated to address new threats and changes in business operations. They should also educate employees on recognizing and responding to suspicious activities.
The latest DLP solutions track data on endpoints such as desktops, mobile devices, and cloud servers to ensure it is not moved, copied, or destroyed. They can also encrypt data in-flight, block transfers to external storage devices, and create shadow copies for audits. This allows businesses to meet compliance regulations and secure their data from external threats.
Limiting Access
In addition to limiting access to data, a DLP solution should monitor for suspicious activity and prevent the illicit transfer of sensitive information from your organization. This can be an insider threat or a cyber attack that exploits the vulnerabilities in your systems to steal or leak information. A comprehensive DLP check helps you detect and protect against attacks before they happen, enabling your organization to maintain productivity and compliance.
Clear DLP policies should be established and communicated to employees. These should include specific guidelines for securing data in remote work environments (like secure remote access technologies, encrypted personal devices, and secure files-sharing practices).
Incorporating DLP training into your security awareness program is also essential. Many breaches are attributed to human error, and employees need to be reminded of their role in keeping company data safe and how to recognize potential threats. Advanced DLP solutions will offer user prompting that warns employees of activities that could violate policy or increase risk and can also block such activity outright.
A robust DLP solution is necessary for any serious business to protect its valuable information and intellectual property. It can help your business avoid costly breaches, ensure regulation compliance, and support a more productive workplace. And with cyber threats constantly evolving, it’s essential to deploy a DLP solution that’s flexible enough to adapt to changing threats and requirements.
