Why All Companies Should Consider Implementing Data Loss Prevention

Why All Companies Should Consider Implementing Data Loss Prevention 

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) has been around since the early 2000s. It started gaining prominence recently as organizations have become increasingly under pressure from regulatory compliance to protect sensitive data, alongside the affordability and accessibility of the technology. 

Over time, DLP technology has evolved significantly, incorporating advanced features like behavioural analysis, encryption, and integration with cloud services to allow visibility of data in motion and at rest in cloud services/applications. 

DLP can protect a company from the inside out and outside in. Ensuring that employees and contractors are using sensitive data correctly can also help when an unauthorised hacker gains access and tries to remove data. 

Key Reasons Why Organizations Adopt DLP: 

• • • Protection of Sensitive Data: Safeguards confidential information from unauthorized access, leakage, or theft. 
    • Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet industry standards and regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, APRA) to avoid legal penalties. 
    • Insider Threat Mitigation: Detects and prevents unauthorized data access or misuse by employees and contractors. 
    • Incident Response: Provides real-time alerts and detailed reports to respond quickly to potential data breaches. 
    • Enhanced Data Visibility: Offers insights into data flows and usage patterns, improving data management and security. 

Common Use Cases Implemented for Our Clients:

• USB Monitoring/Blocking or Encryption

USB devices are a common way for data to be removed undetected, especially when employees leave a company. They can take confidential information, like customer lists with PII, PHI, or PCI data, which can lead to a reportable data breach. 

Technology Used: Endpoint DLP 

Controls and Processes: 

• • • Audit all USB uploads. 
    • Block or encrypt files uploaded to USB. 
    • Create exemptions for necessary BAU activities. 
    • Triage and escalate suspicious transfers. 

• Web Monitoring – Monitor/Encrypt/Block Data Uploads

This includes monitoring AI sites, third-party file sharing/email accounts, social media, etc. Common scenarios involve: 

• • • Blocking/monitoring uploads to AI sites (ChatGPT, Gemini, CoPilot). 
    • Preventing unauthorized online file storage and sharing. 
    • Blocking exfiltration through personal emails or online storage. 

Technology Used: Web DLP, Endpoint DLP 

Controls and Processes: 

• • • Audit uploads hitting DLP policies. 
    • Whitelist necessary internal sites and APIs. 
    • Blacklist sites for blocking uploads. 
    • Triage and escalate unauthorized uploads. 

• CRM Monitoring/Control

CRMs store personal information and are often unmonitored, allowing undetected data exports. 

Technologies Used: Endpoint DLP, Web DLP, CASB 

Controls and Processes: 

• • • Audit uploads via web, email, or USB to detect sensitive data leaving. 
    • Block all data/report exports from CRM. 
    • Create exemptions for necessary BAU report exports. 
    • Triage and escalate unauthorised exports. 

Many more use cases differ depending on the company, industry, and compliance needs. DLP is generally a journey that a company will go through, starting with auditing, then reporting data leaks, and finally blocking uploads to locations to reduce risk further. 

Take the Next Step 

Many companies already have some DLP capabilities built into their security stack. Reach out for a no-obligation session to explore your company’s DLP needs and current security vendors’ capabilities.