These systems monitor, detect, and block the movement of sensitive information across endpoints, networks, and data storage locations to see to it that confidential data is not lost, misused, or accessed by users who don’t have the required approval.
To put it simply, DLP safeguards vital information by identifying and blocking unauthorized data transfers.
Main Components of DLP
DLP consists of three main elements:
- Endpoint
- Network
- Storage
Endpoint DLP monitors and controls data on endpoints like laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. It prevents unsanctioned copying, transferring, or sharing data from these devices.
Network DLP keeps a close eye on data in transit across the network, detecting and preventing off-the-record transmission of information via emails, messaging apps, or other communication channels.
Storage DLP monitors data at rest within databases, file servers, and cloud storage so that it’s properly secured and not exposed to unauthorized access.
How DLP Helps
To give you a better understanding of why DLP is so useful, here are some of the reasons why organizations utilize it:
- Compliance - This includes regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and other data protection laws that mandate the safeguarding of sensitive information.
- Protection against data breaches - Helps prevent data breaches by controlling the flow of restricted data, thus making sure it doesn’t leave the company without proper authorization. It also automatically encrypts privileged data in case it’s being stored in a vulnerable location.
- Intellectual property protection - DLP solutions protect proprietary information, trade secrets, and other intellectual property from being leaked or stolen.
- Insider threat mitigation - Can identify and prevent the unauthorized sharing of classified data by insiders, whether intentional or accidental.
- Data visibility and control - Provides visibility into how data is being accessed, used, and shared within an organization, allowing for better control and management of confidential information.
It’s easy to see how DLP can be of invaluable help to businesses of all sizes.
Here’s more good news: it can aid in various forms too, not just with data security - its main (or the most well-known) use. In a way, DLP can also help educate users about a company’s data protection policies by providing real-time alerts or notifications when they attempt to share or access private data.
It’s not all roses, though (but then again what is?), so it’s only fair to mention some downsides as well.
For instance, there can be false positives where legitimate data transfers are blocked, leading to potential disruptions in business operations. However, such a scenario largely depends on the company at hand and its existing data rules, which can be modified to avoid such situations.
Furthermore, the cost can be the issue (as always), since DLP solutions tend to be on the expensive side of things when it comes to implementation and maintenance. This holds particularly true for large businesses with complex data environments.
Common Use Cases
When all is said and done, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages as DLP has found its place in many industries:
- Healthcare - Protects patient data and ensures compliance with regulations like HIPAA.
- Finance - Safeguards financial information, such as credit card numbers, and complies with regulations like PCI-DSS.
- Government - Makes classified information safe and prevents private data exposure.
- Legal - Secures client information and maintains attorney-client privilege.
- Manufacturing - Protects intellectual property, such as design documents and trade secrets, from being leaked to competitors.
In terms of specific use cases, you’ll often find DLP involved in these scenarios:
- Preventing unauthorized emailing of restricted data - It can block or encrypt emails that contain confidential information, such as customer data or financial records, warding off efforts to send it outside the organization.
- Controlling data transfers to external devices - DLP can stop employees from copying sensitive data to USB drives or other external storage devices, reducing the risk of data theft.
- Monitoring cloud storage access - Can monitor and control the upload of privileged data to cloud storage platforms, making sure that it remains secure in the cloud.
- Detecting and blocking data exfiltration - DLP is quite capable of detecting and blocking attempts to exfiltrate data through unauthorized channels, such as unapproved file-sharing services or messaging apps.
- Protecting against insider threats - Helps identify and prevent unauthorized data access or sharing by employees across the organization, reducing the risk of insider threats.
Integration with Other Security Technologies
Something that could potentially be overlooked is DLP’s versatility. Since it’s able to integrate with several other technologies, organizations can improve the overall security with DLP. To put it in a better perspective, here’s what we mean:
- SIEM integration - DLP solutions often join forces with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems to provide a comprehensive view of security incidents. By correlating DLP alerts with other security events, businesses can gain deeper insights into potential threats and respond more effectively.
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) - DLP can work alongside EDR solutions to monitor endpoint activities and prevent data breaches originating from compromised devices. EDR focuses on detecting and responding to threats on endpoints, while DLP will make sure that sensitive data is not exfiltrated from those endpoints.
- Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) - Through integration with CASB solutions that provide visibility and control over data moving to and from cloud applications, DLP can be extended to cloud environments. This combination extends DLP’s impact by enforcing data security policies across cloud services.
Granted, the choice between any of these integrations is dependent on an enterprise’s needs and demands, as well as its ability to see the process through.
Even without assistance from other technology, DLP is a critical component of a cybersecurity strategy, protecting the unauthorized access, transfer, or leakage of classified data. That said, its implementation can be a complicated matter and costly. As such, organizations must be careful in their approach and find the balance between security and operational efficiency to achieve success.
