Basics of Data Loss Prevention

Basics of Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data loss prevention (DLP) is a mixture of tools and processes used to safeguard sensitive data against lost, misused, or accessed by unauthorized users. DLP tool categorizes confidential and business critical data and identifies violations of policies if there which are pre-defined by organizations. 

If there any violations are identified, DLP imposes remediation with alerts, encryption, and other protective actions to prevent end users from sharing data.

Data loss prevention solution monitor and control endpoint events, filter data streams networks, and monitor data to protect the data at rest, in motion, and in use. 

Some DLP solutions use strong encryption, access control and user behavior analysis.

How to develop DLP Policy

• The key factor lies in developing the strong DLP policy by the organization itself. Organizations should ready to use and implement new compliance policies such as GDPR, HIPPA, PCI-DSS etc. 
• An organization should know which data is critical and which are not. 
• Thus, need to identify and classify the data as per its criticality and need to prevent its misuse. 
• In some parts it has been noticed that, data loss has been caused by the insiders accidentality or unknowingly.
• Define the user’s access, privileged access and allocate the roles and responsibility of the users.
• Spread awareness and educate among the users and other stakeholders on how to safeguard organizational data and stay compliance. 
• Never save personal data at business systems.
• Involve management leaders or CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) in the DLP policy strategy.

Saving data, saves reputation, Personally identifiable Information (PII), Intellectual Property (IP) of the organization.

Many OEMs are presently offering their DLP solution such as Symantec, Trend Micro, McAfee, checkpoint, Force point, Code42, secure trust etc.

 -DR