What is DLP (Data Loss Prevention) and how it prevents the leak of confidential information
A complete guide to how DLP (data loss prevention) software works to protect your corporation's intellectual property.
What is DLP (Data Loss Prevention) and how it prevents the leak of confidential information
The leak of a corporation's confidential data—whether through the malicious action of a disgruntled employee, an unintentional mistake by a collaborator, or a successful phishing attack—can result in millions in regulatory fines and an irreparable loss of business reputation.
To address these logical information leaks, organizations implement DLP (Data Loss Prevention) tools.
How Does DLP Software Work?
DLP solutions act as a digital content gatekeeper. They continuously analyze the company's structured and unstructured data under three main environments:
- DLP in Transit (Network DLP): Monitors outgoing network traffic. If it detects that an employee is trying to send an email that contains a spreadsheet with thousands of unencrypted customer credit card numbers, the system automatically intercepts and blocks the sending.
- Storage DLP: Scans local file servers and cloud infrastructures for sensitive documents stored in public or insecure folders, alerting system administrators to relocate the information under strict permissions.
- DLP on Devices (Endpoint DLP): Runs locally on employees' computers. You can prohibit copying files labeled 'Confidential' to external USB sticks or attempting to upload a development's source code to personal public repositories.
Classification and Identification of Data by Content
The success of a DLP software implementation lies in the correct classification of the company's data. Modern tools use logical rules to detect sensitive information:
- Regular Expression Filters (Regex): Search for text strings that match specific logical patterns (such as identity numbers, credit card numbers, or cryptographic keys).
- Document Fingerprinting (Fingerprinting): Create hashed digital signatures of company master files (e.g. patent contract templates). If a matching fragment of that text is copied to another file, the DLP identifies it immediately.
Shields your company's databases and intellectual property against unauthorized access and logical leaks. Learn about our solutions in Attack Prevention and Data Security.
