Data loss prevention (DLP) can be defined as a collection of technologies and processes that are used to prevent sensitive data from being lost, compromised, exfiltrated, or accessed by unauthorized individuals, according to the definition. Organizations adopt data loss prevention (DLP) in order to protect and secure their data while simultaneously complying with regulatory obligations.
Information security professionals refer to the practice of protecting enterprises against both data loss and data leakage as "data leakage prevention." When essential information about an organization is lost, such as when a ransomware attack is conducted, this is referred to as "data loss" or "data loss and recovery." When it comes to data loss prevention, it is all about preventing information from being transferred outside of an organization's borders without permission.
A business's desire to ensure compliance with regulatory compliance standards such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or GDPR motivates the use of data loss prevention software. Data loss prevention software classifies regulated, confidential, and business-critical data and detects violations of policies specified by the business or contained within a predetermined policy pack, among other things.
In order to prevent end users from accidentally or maliciously releasing information that could put the firm in danger, the DLP system sends out notifications, encrypts data, and employs other protective measures. Data loss prevention software and solutions must be capable of monitoring and regulating endpoint activity, filtering data streams on corporate networks, and monitoring data saved in the cloud in order to secure data at rest, in motion, and in use.
On top of all that, DLP provides reporting to ensure that compliance and auditing standards are met, as well as the ability to detect and analyze weak points and abnormalities for the purposes of forensics and emergency response.