Data Loss Prevention: Your Key to Averting a Data Disaster

Data is the most valuable asset in the world, ahead of even oil, per a study by The Economist. As business leaders recognize, it is mission-critical for corporate productivity and success. Furthermore, 97% of business leaders use data to power their business opportunities, and 76% of them, it is an integral part of their business strategy.

Although backups are a great way to ensure data recovery in the event of theft or disaster, another way to protect data is through data loss prevention (DLP). DLP software is explicitly designed to identify potential data breaches and data exfiltration (deliberately moving sensitive data outside an organization’s perimeter without permission), whether it is personally identifiable information or intellectual property.

How DLP Works and What It Can Do

DLP tools are purpose-built to monitor sensitive data while in use, in motion, and at rest, detecting and blocking its transmission. Whether the data has been accessed via hacking, malware, or a social engineering attack, DLP will still prevent the data from leaving the corporate network and/or being accessed by a user without sufficient privileges.

The most sophisticated DLP solutions are content and context-aware. This approach enables them to inspect and control file transfers, manage which USB devices are supported for data storage, and ensure data encryption is in place and enforced at all endpoints, which are generally the most vulnerable points of attack.

What to Look for in Your DLP Solution

Despite the well-defined scope of DLP, various firms offer solutions that vary in their feature sets and ease of deployment/use. Following are some key capabilities we recommend business leaders seek:

• The DLP solution should function on a wide variety of technology platforms and support hundreds of file formats.
• The DLP server should offer a user-friendly interface that is easy for administrators to access and operate.
• The DLP client should have the smallest footprint possible, operating without disrupting users’ daily work and making the end-user experience virtually seamless.
• Optimally, the DLP solution should be capable of identifying users who fail to follow data security best practices and prudent management of their policy violations.

The Bonus of DLP: Compliance

DLP does more than help prevent data theft and other data exfiltration efforts. It also helps organizations ensure data privacy, which can benefit their efforts to meet regulatory compliance mandates such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOX, and others. In doing so, DLP also helps ensure they don’t run afoul of regulatory entities, thereby avoiding fines and other damages they might impose.

As a company that places extreme importance on corporate security in every area, IT Solutions counsels its clients on DLP solutions and helps set up the software, train their users, and much more. The ITS team has extensive expertise in configuring DLP within Microsoft 365. For a complimentary, no-obligation consultation about DLP and how it might benefit your firm, we invite you to call us at 866-PICK-ITS (866-742-5487).