We live in a data-driven world, where information holds immense value and must be protected at all costs. With large volumes of data being generated and shared, and migration to cloud environments, incidents of data breaches and unauthorized access has been on the rise. Several organizations are struggling to safeguard critical data such as intellectual property, sensitive financial data and personally-identifiable information. As these risks grow manifold, it’s imperative for organization to deploy robust data loss prevention (DLP) strategies for code data loss prevention.

Data loss prevention (or DLP) is integral to any effective defence strategy in order to prevent and contain data leaks and loss. These information protection practices are created and executed to safeguard sensitive information in a corporate network and prevent it from being accessed, misused or lost. By deploying data loss prevention controls in software development, you can mitigate the risk of data leakage, loss and exfiltration and protect the larger interests of your business.

How does DLP work?

Data loss prevention is a comprehensive strategy that deploys a set of tools to protect sensitive information and data and prevent any kind of unauthorized access, misuse or leakage. It encompasses a wide gamut of methodologies that safeguard data from accidental or intentional exposure. To understand how DLP software development works, let’s know more about three primary tasks it performs:

• Analysis and classification of content:  The first step of any DLP strategy is understanding and analysing data, both on premises and in the cloud. By using automated data discovery and classification technology, you can scan your data repositories and create digital signatures for all sensitive and critical data.
• Providing relevant context: You require different vectors to protect data that may be at rest, in motion or in use.  DLP technologies link the context for each action or event and help to mitigate the risk of data loss and leakage.
• Deciding actions based on policy: Some DLP solutions are focused on policies, business rules, and conditions and prevent any improper activity that attempts to copy sensitive data and violates corporate rules. Such DLP policies direct actions that must be taken in case of a data leak such as blocking the activity, suspension of the account or reporting the breach to the security administrator.

Common Examples of Data Loss

Data loss is common in the digital world as hackers and threat actors find new ways to exploit system vulnerabilities. Let’s look at some instances of data loss and how an organization’s sensitive data can be attacked and compromised:

Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks include a range of malicious activities that aim to infiltrate systems to steal, manipulate, or corrupt sensitive data. Valuable and confidential data can get compromised by such breaches leading to financial loss or and reputational damage.

Malware

Malware or malicious software is one of the most notorious tools used by cybercriminals to wreak havoc on digital systems. They include worms, viruses, spyware and Trojans that insidiously steal data, corrupt files leaving systems inoperable. Malware attacks usually take place when a user unsuspectingly downloads an infected file or clicks on a malicious link. Ransomware is a sinister type of malware that encrypts files or systems and denies access to critical data and disrupts operations until a ransom is paid.

Phishing

Phishing attacks dupe unsuspecting users with deceptive tactics and con them into sharing confidential information like login details, personal information and financial credentials. The common tools used for phishing include fraudulent messages, emails and websites. Cybercriminals use the information stolen via phishing to infiltrate systems and gain access to confidential data.

Insider vulnerabilities

Whether an organization is large or small, it runs the risk of data loss due to the actions of its employees. The action may be unintentional or malicious or even a case of lack of awareness or negligence, but the consequences can be distressing.

Why is Data Loss Prevention important?

Today’s digital landscape is chequered with the threat of cyberattacks and data breaches and in this scenario, it is vital to adopt an effective DLP strategy. The threats could be both external and internal, making it imperative for organizations to work towards data loss prevention. Let’s look at the most compelling reasons why DLP is essential for every business:

• Safeguards critical data: By using a mix of strategies, policies and tools, DLP systems prevent any data breaches or leaks and protect your organization’s sensitive data and information. They are adept at securing sensitive data development at all stages of handling- at rest, in motion or in use.
• Ensure compliance with regulations: Some sectors such as finance, government and healthcare are strictly regulated and cannot compromise with confidentiality and data integrity.  DLP solutions ensure compliance through controls like access restrictions, encryption and regular data monitoring.
• Preserves company reputation: By enforcing DLP measures, your organization upholds its promise to safeguard sensitive customer data. These practices help in fostering consumer trust and go a long way in protecting your company’s reputation.
• Improved data visibility: The added benefit of deploying DLP solutions is the enhanced visibility of your company’s data landscape. With this visibility, you gain valuable insights such as pattern of data usage, vulnerabilities and areas that require more protection.

DLP: A Work in Progress

DLP goes beyond a single software and is a vital element of your data protection program. Any effective data protection strategy begins with understanding what data is critical and deciding how to store, use and move this data. What is needed is a comprehensive program with several layers to prevent data loss and leakage. You can start off with an assessment of your existing security tools to help you with data discovery and classification. As technology evolves and more critical data gets added via cloud technology, you need to constantly modify and enhance your DLP tools to provide optimum protection from cyberattacks and threat actors.