Leveraging Data Loss Prevention To Counteract Internal Threats

By Author: Lauren Ellis
Total Articles: 35
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Data loss prevention is a tool primarily used by chief information officers, chief information security officers, and information technology teams. Data Loss Prevention Tools enable these parties to know the location of their highly sensitive information, know how that highly sensitive information is being utilized by their employees and other parties, and provides a strategy to prevent data from getting lost.

It’s been found that in several situations, data loss is a result of internal employees actually, by accidentally breaking company policies. However these minor mistakes can quickly escalate to large-scale blunders that can lead to one’s enterprise flooding press headlines, and undergoing severe federal investigations. According to Boxpoint Partners research analyst Jared Fisher, “The most harmful data leaks and breaches can actually be caused by one’s own employees, not even outside hackers, cybercriminals or other exterior threats. Therefore, its important organizations look into data loss prevention solutions to prevent ...
... a company breakdown because of a minor mistake that slipped under their nose.”

Data loss prevention products encompass four typical features: endpoint protection, network protection, data center protection, and email protection. Because of the ubiquitous usage nature of email, it becomes a large proportion of data leaks and breaches. Furthermore, data loss prevention also peers into databases, laptops and servers for highly confidential information. Data Loss Prevention tools can alert one’s enterprise when the company source code is being transferred via an electronic communication channel, or even transfers by local drives, such as USBs.

Given the widespread accessibility to the Internet, and ever-increasing mobile workplaces, data is being transferred at a breakneck pace, and at ubiquitous frequency. This also means that company information can be accessed by all functioning parts of a business, inclusive of their outside consulting firms and employees at any location and at any time. With so many avenues, the chances of data leaks and breaches are increased.

The effects of a data breach or leak can be completely shattering to an enterprise.
According to Boxpoint Partners research analyst Jared Fisher, “The cost of a data breach or leak can be extremely damaging. Beyond the fines from federal regulating parties and lawsuits from victimized customers, the cost of repairing and revitalizing an enterprises brand can be overwhelming. Thus, its imperative enterprises use data loss prevention tools.” Data loss prevention solutions work exactly to prevent such catastrophes. In any format, either at rest, or in storage, data loss preventions can drastically decrease data loss risks.

Data loss prevention provides a large amount of value to enterprises nowadays. Thus, the data loss prevention market size is continually skyrocket. By employing an end to end data loss prevention solution that covers the endpoint, network and storage systems, enterprises can efficiently discover the locations of their highly confidential information, and strategize how to protect it. Furthermore, by informing employees and setting policies about appropriate data usage in the cloud, enterprises can better prepare themselves. Thus, data loss prevention is an important tool in both protecting a company, and securing customers data in this modern era.

Author :
Lauren Ellis is a research analyst covering the technology industry’s top trends & topics, focusing on Security, Cloud Computing, Data Loss Prevention Tools.