In today's hyper-connected enterprise environment, data is everything.
It's an asset that maintains the backbone of a business. In addition, it's also the driving force behind continuity, compliance, and gaining a competitive advantage in the market. That's why Data Leakage Protection (DLP) is mandatory at the enterprise level.
DLP is an important consideration for enterprise-level B2B decision makers such as CTOs, CISOs, and IT Directors, and the head of security in an enterprise.
However, it's often difficult to adopt and implement a proper DLP at an enterprise level if the right process isn't followed.
Through this comprehensive guide, we have helped decision-makers adopt DLP at the enterprise level with a focus on endpoint security and insider threat prevention.
What is Data Leakage Protection?
Data leakage protection (DLP) is a combination of strategies, technology, and policies designed to keep sensitive data from leaving the organizational network.
The DLP keeps data secure and prevents leakage through practices like intentional theft, accidental loss, and unauthorized sharing.
In the digital age, where data is flowing across cloud platforms, remote endpoints, and third-party vendors, a robust DLP is mandatory. It’s the overarching solution for safeguarding intellectual property, and customer data.
Possibilities of Data Leakage at the Enterprise Level
The enterprise landscape is changing and evolving at a rapid rate.
It's necessary to implement capable data leakage protection at the enterprise level to ensure that data stays safe and within the organizational boundary.
Implementing a DLP is a process to safeguard specific endpoints vulnerable to data breach. Following are the key areas that need protection -
The Core Pillars of Data Leakage Protection
The two main pillars of data leakage protection include the Core Pillars of Data Leakage Protection.
- Endpoint Security
- Insider Threat Prevention
A. Endpoint Security
An organization's cloud infrastructure is typically linked to a vast number of devices. Endpoint laptops and mobile phones are often the weakest links in enterprise security.
These weak points of connections can often compromise enterprise-level data. That's why it's important to monitor, control, and protect data across devices. In addition, the endpoint security must also include offline devices and the ones working remotely.
Taking help from WAF Cyber Security also helps maintain endpoint security for remote workers linked to an enterprise.
The best way to secure the endpoint security for an enterprise includes --
- Real Time Monitoring
- Device Control
- Automated Encryption
- Content Aware Protection
B. Insider Threat Protection
Data Leakage Protection is more necessary at the internal level of an enterprise. 60% of overall data breaches happen from the inside. It's reason enough to have a formidable internal data protection system to ensure security.
The following are a few common ways of ensuring internal data from leaking through avoidable mistakes and malicious intentions --
- User & Entity Behavior Analytics
- Granular access controls
- Comprehensive monitoring
- Regular review of user accounts
7 Best Practices for Enterprise Data Leakage Protection
Even with strong data management and an overall DLP process, failure at the implementation level can compromise a lot for an enterprise. Here are some industry best practices for safer handling of data:
1. Classify & Inventory Data
It's critical to have a clear visibility over data and determine the level of its sensitivity at the enterprise level. Classifying data helps understand the level of encryption a specific data catalog deserves. Furthermore, it helps determine the countermeasures needed if the data is compromised.
2. Data Restriction and Monitoring
Monitoring access to certain data is a critical part of Data Leakage Protection.
- Role-Based Access Control: Enterprises can set limitations based on a users’ job role, limiting specific access to specific individuals. This helps secure data at different layers of the organization’s hierarchy.
- Continuous Monitoring: Use DLP solutions to track data flows across different endpoints, networks, and clouds. It monitors and logs all attempts to access and transfer data.
- Automated blocking: Through automated blocking, enterprises can prevent unauthorized actions. This includes actions like transferring sensitive files to personal folders and devices, or unapproved cloud storage, causing data breaches.
3. Integrating DLP with Insider Threat Management
It helps to have a holistic view of threat management and data breach management. That’s what Insider Threat Management are for.
- Unified Policies: Integrating DLP with the insider threat risk management tools provides a more capable protection across virtualized environments
- Real Time Response: Enterprises can stay more secure with automated alerts integrated into the workflows and the system.
This way, any potential leakage incident gets easily spotted. Enterprises can quickly investigate them right after these leakages occur.
4. Enforce Device Control and Encryption
Device control and data encryption also help prevent data leakage.
- Device Lockdown: Enterprises can restrict the use of peripheral ports and USB. This way, only approved devices can access the enterprise data files.
- Automated Encryption: Encrypt data in transit, at rest, and data that is on removable media. It ensures data protection and privacy even after the device is physically away from the organization.
5. Regular Employee Training
Inefficient handling of data or a lack of training of employees who handle data for organizational needs can also cause leakage.
That's why regular employee training is critical at an organizational level. It's important to train employees in data security policies, phishing recognition, and proper data handling.
Organizations can create phishing and data breach simulations to see how employees react to them. This training can prepare them for real-life scenarios where they may have to take action to prevent breaches.
6. Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Auditability
- Compliance alignment: Map DLP controls to regulatory need like GDPR, HIPAA, and industry-specific mandates
- Audit trails: Enterprises can also focus on maintaining detailed logs of data access, transfers, and incidents to maintain compliance audits and investigations.
7. Centralize Data Leakage Protection
It's also essential to centralize data leakage protection. If the DLP procedure is siloed or fragmented across different initiatives, it becomes difficult to implement it at a time of need. Instead, enterprises must focus on building a centralized program that is easy for the employees to follow. Also, having a unified program makes cross-departmental collaboration on the DLP much easier.
Real World Example of Data Leakage
As per GDPRtech.com, in 2022, Pegasus Airlines had a data breach due to their employee misconfiguring an AWS storage bucket. It exposed sensitive data of the passenger.
This data breach was an accident, and it falls under insider threat. It could compromise flight safety and the privacy of the crews on board and result in both legal and financial penalties.
Although there was no confirmed misuse of data occurring in that incident, it still highlighted the need for robust cybersecurity measures, most importantly, the need for Data Leakage Protection.
Solutions: Actions Enterprises Can Take Today
As multiple instances of data breach keep affecting global enterprises, ones that are still secure must implement Data Leakage Protection at the earliest. As an entrepreneur, you can start by assessing the current data leakage protection measures that already exist in your enterprise.
If the current DLP doesn’t merge endpoint security, cloud and network protection, you must rethink your strategy.
With security awareness as a continuous process and regular employee training, it should be easier to implement DLP within your enterprise. Also, update your security policies timely while using standard technology.
