Of all the security techniques aimed at ensuring data security and combating data breaches, data loss prevention tools are far and away the most common. DLP tools constantly monitor and analyze data to identify potential violations of security policies and, if appropriate, stop them from continuing. DLP tools come in a variety of forms, including those focusing on a single part of an organization, such as email services or laptops, to ones specializing in data backup, archival and restoration. Some DLP tools encompass the entire organization — and these are the focus of this article. First, let’s discuss some must-have features and capabilities. Then, take a close look at seven enterprise DLP tools for the information needed when evaluating the best product for your company’s needs.
Enterprise DLP tools are equipped with a wide range of features and capabilities. The following are the most essential:
– The ability to automatically discover, inventory and classify sensitive data and its metadata.
– The ability to analyze data in any state — in use, at rest or in transit, and in any location, including user endpoints, on-premises servers, networks and cloud services.
– The ability to use several types of analyses to accurately find problems, such as looking for suspicious values, complex pattern-matching, finding copies of known sensitive data, performing statistical analysis of data activity, and studying user behavior.
– The ability to act in one of several ways when the DLP software discovers a potential policy violation, including logging a possible violation and alerting an administrator, stopping a data transfer, and initiating incident response.
Now, let’s look at several popular enterprise DLP tools marketed to security teams. This is just an overview of what’s offered today. Many other DLP tools are available, each with its own unique combination of features and capabilities.
1. Digital Guardian DLP by Fortra
– Key features: SaaS DLP with automated data discovery and data classification capabilities for both known and unknown data types.
– Pros: Supports managed services, offers excellent customer support and on-demand training.
– Cons: Configuring and managing policies can be challenging for some users, can reportedly cause issues on some endpoints.
2. Forcepoint DLP
– Key features: Uses a single analysis engine for data in motion, at rest and in use, ensuring consistency, provides policy templates for major security and privacy regulations around the world.
– Pros: Provides broad, highly effective monitoring and analysis capabilities, consumes minimal resources on endpoints.
– Cons: The learning curve for deployment can be steep, some users have found support lacking.
3. Palo Alto Networks Enterprise DLP
– Key features: Delivered through the cloud using Palo Alto next-generation firewalls and management console, single policy engine for all DLP components, offers built-in policies for compliance with numerous laws and regulations.
– Pros: Designed to accommodate mobile and hybrid workforces and SaaS application usage, users report that setup is quick and easy.
– Cons: Assumes use of existing Palo Alto Networks systems, some users don’t find the documentation sufficiently detailed.
4. Proofpoint Enterprise DLP
– Key features: Supports integration with Proofpoint’s data discovery and classification solution to improve Enterprise DLP’s efficiency, takes a people-centric approach to identifying and preventing data loss, can share customized policies and other configurations across Proofpoint DLP modules.
– Pros: Highly customizable rules and dictionaries, relatively easy to implement compared to other DLP products, according to many users.
– Cons: Standalone email DLP requires separate dashboards for other DLP use cases, legacy UI in need of a refresh, according to some users.
5. Symantec Data Loss Prevention by Broadcom
– Key features: Provides a single console for monitoring and managing all DLP components, uses a single policy mechanism for all its detection and enforcement capabilities, offers a variety of enforcement capabilities, including integration with Microsoft Purview Information Protection.
– Pros: Many users find the UI flexible and easy to use, fast data discovery and strong detection of policy violations reported.
– Cons: Considered more expensive than most other DLP tools, some users have found technical support lacking, integrations might be challenging and require extra support or professional services.
6. Trellix Data Security (formerly McAfee)
– Key features: Offers several methods for protecting sensitive information, including options to block data from being saved to USB drives and other media, being recorded via screen captures, being sent to printers, and being posted to websites, offers integrations with third-party tools for data classification, orchestration and incident response, provides strong, flexible options for data classification.
– Pros: Many users consider the data protection methods highly effective, users like the management console’s UI.
– Cons: Some users have reported configuration difficulties and a steep learning curve, agents sometimes run slowly or interfere with other applications.
7. Zscaler Data Protection
– Key features: A cloud-based security service edge suite of products and services that includes cloud, email and endpoint DLP, provides protection and monitoring for endpoints whether or not they’re internet-connected, does not need to route any user traffic through on-premises networks for monitoring or enforcement purposes.
– Pros: Generally easy to deploy and manage, requires no on-premises appliances or other hardware; highly scalable.
– Cons: Service largely depends on internet connectivity, with lags reported, some customers found documentation on configurations underwhelming.
In conclusion, enterprise DLP tools play a critical role in monitoring and protecting sensitive data from breaches. It is important to carefully consider the features and capabilities of each tool before making a decision on the best fit for your organization’s needs. With the fast-paced evolution of technology and data, it is essential to invest in the right tools to safeguard your company’s sensitive information.