Data Leakage Prevention

Averting the silent threat of data leakage and loss

After years of effort and investment, many businesses feel confident in their ability to secure an organization’s perimeter and prevent intruder access since powerful firewalls, data encryption and anti-malware software guard against external forces trying to gain access into the company—and its most valued asset: data. And, while they are all necessary measures to prevent a loss of vital information, these solutions don’t protect against misappropriated or stolen data from internal sources.

With a reported 50 percent—and as much as 80 percent—of security breaches being caused by insiders within the organization and behind the firewall, it is perhaps the biggest threat of all. But, increased awareness of the problem, along with regulatory pressure, and the potential for brand damage and bad press, has fueled the rapidly growing Data Leakage Prevention (DLP) market.

Data Leakage Prevention (DLP) describes efforts to detect and prevent the unauthorized transmission of corporate data to anyone outside the organization. For the most part, this involves creating safeguards and warning systems that prevent the accidental misuse of sensitive information, but it also includes the ability to identify and block intentional acts. Data Leakage Prevention is an integral part of any organization’s Information Risk Management (IRM) strategy.

A successful DLP initiative is one that identifies and monitors data in all stages of the information lifecycle. This includes “data in motion” as it travels across the network, “data at rest,” as it is stored in file shares, databases, and endpoints, and “data in use,” as on user desktops or in mobile devices.

The sharp increase in mobile workers has forced companies to allow access to data from outside the physical walls. And, messaging systems, wireless networking, and USB storage devices make it easier than ever for corporate and customer data to stealthily make its way outside the firewall. To make matters worse, the stakes are higher than they were before. The emergence of a wide variety of data security and privacy regulations have forced organizations to implement policies and document measures to keep information confidential and protect customer privacy. And, this is where data leakage can cause the most damage. Non-compliance and breaches can result in fines and costly litigation—not to mention the bad press that results from publicized incidents.

Utimaco’s SafeGuard LeakProof™* helps businesses extend their security efforts to include data leakage prevention. It helps them identify all confidential data on laptops, desktops, and servers and track or prevent the movement of that information to unauthorized destinations. In doing so, SafeGuard LeakProof™ helps mitigate the risk of non-compliance, protects privacy, and safeguards corporate information.

*LeakProof is a registered trademark of Trend Micro