Four Must-Know Benefits of Implementing DLP Security

Data breaches cost organizations hefty fines, bad publicity, and lost strategic customers. A DLP solution identifies critical information and reduces internal risks by providing lineage tracking, transaction analysis, and other tools. DLP solutions watch for outside threats to data and monitor internal risks to endpoints, including computers, laptops, mobile devices, and the cloud. Security teams configure the DLP system to create rules for monitoring sensitive information.

Reduces Downtime

DLP security complements other cybersecurity tools by alerting you of unauthorized attempts to access systems that store sensitive data. Using these tools in conjunction can reduce the risk of data loss and reduce downtime due to compromised systems. DLP technologies that scan networks and cloud infrastructures can identify and encrypt archival data before it leaves the perimeter. This helps ensure that only authorized users can access archival data and prevents data exfiltration from internal or external parties. DLP can detect sensitive information sent outside the secure perimeter, such as email attachments and removable storage devices. It can also spot unauthorized transfers that may be taking place on endpoints. DLP technology can stop these transfers or redirect users to a safe path. DLP technology can scan cloud-based applications and other standard data repositories to identify and classify intellectual property. It can then create policies governing how this information is handled. This prevents unauthorized IP disclosure and can give your company a competitive advantage. DLP can also detect unauthorized attempts to copy IPs and alert administrators. This type of DLP security can also help you comply with regulations, such as GDPR or HIPAA, that require you to protect your customers’ personal information.

Protects Critical Data

Data breaches can ruin a company’s reputation, lead to lost strategic customers, and leave it prone to legal action. A DLP solution protects against breaches by ensuring that critical information is not accessed and sent outside the network. With increasing number of employees working remotely and accessing corporate systems via BYOD devices, monitoring where sensitive information is going is essential. DLP solutions can track files at rest and in transit on endpoints and prevent them from being mailed, posted to social media, or forwarded to external recipients. The first step in deploying DLP is conducting a complete inventory of your business’s information to determine the most sensitive data. Using this information, cybersecurity teams can build rules to identify and categorize sensitive data. These rules can then trigger responses to specific threats, such as blocking transmissions or warning users of a potential security breach. The system also enables organizations to deploy user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) to establish patterns that reduce the number of false positives. DLP solutions can also help companies comply with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI-DSS by monitoring sensitive data in regulated files and emails. They can also encrypt and apply digital rights to sensitive file formats before they leave an endpoint or a USB.

Enhances Security

The average corporate network houses trade secrets, customer data, and other sensitive information. Hackers are constantly targeting this information to gain a competitive advantage. And, as the number of staff working remotely grows, the attack surface increases. To thwart hackers and prevent accidental data leaks, DLP strategies and tools help organizations track and monitor critical information throughout their networks, on employee devices, in cloud storage, and beyond. Effective DLP solutions start with a complete inventory and assessment of the organization’s current data assets. This includes identifying all the types of information the company holds, such as personally identifiable information (PII), financial data, regulatory information, and intellectual property. Once the information is categorized, cybersecurity teams can establish policies that dictate how this data should be handled. Because unintended actions are the leading cause of data loss by insiders, user training is an essential component of DLP. Educating employees about the impact of their actions via classroom instruction, periodic emails, and written write-ups can help reduce this risk. Moreover, advanced DLP tools enable security teams to set up alerts and other notifications that notify users when their behavior violates the organization’s recommended security policies or risks a breach. This may include unauthorized attempts to copy, edit, or delete a critical file or traffic from an unknown device, a sign of malware activity.

Increases Revenue

The best DLP solutions help you identify and protect critical data, preventing expensive data breaches that can ruin your company’s reputation and damage your bottom line. By monitoring the flow of information, DLP enables you to detect and block sensitive data before it leaves your network and falls into the wrong hands. It also helps you comply with ever-changing global regulations. A DLP program can make it easier to satisfy GDPR requirements and other strict rules that require your organization to protect consumer data. One of the critical factors to successful DLP is buy-in from business areas. Each area must understand how its data sets and associated functions work so that the DLP policy reflects its needs and processes. It’s essential to have an information security officer act as a liaison between the business area owner and the information security team to ensure an understanding of how to safeguard the company’s data assets. DLP solutions can monitor data in motion and at rest on an endpoint or server. This includes data sent over a private network, like an intranet or an email, or to a public network like the Internet. DLP can also encrypt sensitive data when transferred to portable devices such as a USB, hard drive, or cloud storage.