governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tools<\/a>. Not all DLP products will have the GRC capabilities you’re looking for, and a smooth integration could be critical for facilitating your team’s regulatory compliance operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReporting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important for many organizations to have visibility and reporting into what data is protected and how it is being accessed, particularly for compliance purposes. Businesses in the healthcare, financial services, and government sectors will especially benefit from strong built-in reporting tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Team expertise and business size<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You’ll need to weigh a product’s interface and capabilities against the skills of your security, IT, and data teams. While you shouldn’t choose a product only for ease of use, it’s important to consider how long it’ll take for your teams to learn and how complex it is. Additionally, smaller businesses will need a product appropriate for their size; likewise for large enterprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Budget<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
While budget certainly isn’t an unimportant consideration, it shouldn’t be the only one. Your business should invest in a product that will last you many years, and if that requires spending some money for a platform with the right features, see if your team can afford a suitable product that will serve you well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How We Evaluated DLP Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We evaluated these DLP solutions using a product scoring rubric. In our rubric, we weighted criteria and features according to the percentages listed for each below, and that weighting factors into the total score for each product. The six products that scored highest in the rubric made our list. However, that doesn\u2019t mean that one of these is automatically the best pick for you, nor that a good option can’t be found outside this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A note on ratings: The scores are not a reflection of the product’s overall quality but rather a representation of how the product met the criteria in our evaluation rubric. All these products are successful in this category, and their score here is not an overall measure of their value. Rather, it analyzes how well they met our specific criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pricing Transparency & Trials | 10 Percent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We evaluated whether the vendor was transparent about pricing and whether the product had a free trial, including how long the trial lasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Core Features | 35 Percent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We evaluated the most important DLP features, like data discovery, data classification, and policy creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additional Features | 20 Percent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We considered some nice-to-have features, including digital rights management, behavioral analytics, and risk-based policy enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Functionality & Management | 20 Percent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We evaluated availability of knowledge bases and training videos, as well as the option to buy the product as a managed service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Customer Support | 15 Percent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We looked at technical support phone and email availability, as well as whether the vendor offers a demo and a 24\/7 support plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
People frequently ask the following questions about data loss prevention and its role in enterprises and security systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Is an Example of a DLP Policy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Data loss prevention policies can either be pre-made or customized specifically for your organization. For example, your IT team might set a DLP policy that permits only encrypted files to be sent from the Chief Information Officer’s email account. DLP policies specify what can happen to what data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Triggers a DLP Incident?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your business’s set policies trigger a DLP incident. When someone goes against a policy \u2014 for example, when the aforementioned CIO attempts to email an unencrypted file \u2014 the DLP product triggers an alert, flagging the incident. Some DLP products have prevention features that will block the unencrypted file from sending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is There a Difference Between DLP and EDR?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
DLP and endpoint detection and response (EDR)<\/a> differ in intent, but they do serve similar purposes. DLP is focused on data, on its safety at rest and in motion. EDR is focused on endpoints and protecting systems starting at the endpoint, detecting and halting attacks on laptops and servers. While they may perform some of the same tasks, businesses will likely implement them for different reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBottom Line: Use DLP Tools to Protect Sensitive Data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DLP technology provides a mechanism to help protect against sensitive data loss and thus can also help mitigate interactions with compliance agencies in the wake of a data breach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By classifying data and users and identifying or blocking anomalous behavior, DLP tools give enterprises the visibility and reporting needed to protect sensitive data and satisfy compliance reporting requirements. It’s likely that your DLP product won’t function in a vacuum \u2014 you’ll probably need other tools, too. But data loss prevention focuses on one of your business’s most important assets: its sensitive, secret and regulated information. The stakes for securing data continue to rise, and DLP is one strategy to help achieve your team’s data protection goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read our tips to prevent data breaches<\/a> next<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
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