Today, preventing data leaks and unauthorized access to data is a widely discussed topic, especially in our country, where we have not only seen recent cases of information breaches but also still have many companies adapting to the LGPD and its requirements regarding the control and monitoring of sensitive data.
Data Loss Prevention solutions are a crucial element of information security and can (and should, as a best practice) be applied across multiple channels and in multiple ways.
Today, the DLP approach proves more effective when we look beyond its application only at a Security Gateway, for example. There are solutions that monitor and protect information while it is at rest on an endpoint (known as Data at Rest), during sharing through an application, or even in everyday actions such as sending documents by email (Data in Motion).
Motivators
Being aware that information can be leaked for a variety of reasons broadens the scope of action within a DLP approach. Commonly, we understand that a data breach has occurred when carried out by an attacker — someone who already had intentions of infiltrating and moving information outside the company’s domain. Today, many leaks also occur through another agent: the negligent or uninformed end user. Increasingly, attention must be paid to this type of user, and programs and/or means must be developed to raise their awareness about proper behavior in the use and sharing of sensitive information, since users often lack a cybersecurity culture — which initially makes them not only a target but also a potential agent of an unintentional data leak.
Setting Priorities
One of the most important and fundamental steps in the Data Loss Prevention approach is data discovery and classification. Understanding, based on the company’s security policy, which data is sensitive and must be protected is the first step in this cycle. Classification, which was often performed entirely manually, no longer requires that level of effort in its entirety, as many solutions now offer this capability in an automated way.
Protection vs. Impact
Protecting information by applying policies for its use and sharing often generates complaints from users, and if this protection is not implemented in a planned and documented manner, it can impact end-user activities. Defining a security policy along with its procedures and exceptions is another important step in achieving this balance.
Finally, we understand how important a concise DLP approach is for companies, preventing disruptions that are all too common today.