There has been much confusion in the marketplace regarding data loss prevention (DLP) controls. There are numerous contributing factors, most notably a general lack of understanding in the vendor community about how data security works or what communicates risk to a business. Impractical processes were established, operational bottlenecks ensued, and the ongoing threat of data loss and theft persisted. As a result, organizations that want to protect their confidential data and comply with laws and regulations are often skeptical and unsure where to turn. Some have been burned by unsuccessful implementations.
The important thing to realize is that it’s not the technology behind DLP controls that ultimately determines your success—it’s the methodology and execution strategy of your vendor that governs both your experience and results. This whitepaper provides guidance and clarity on the following: it explains important distinctions and advises on how to assess a potential vendor; it provides valuable insight into data-breach trends; offers an easy-to-follow 9-step process for implementing and executing a data protection strategy in a manner that is practical, measurable and risk-adaptive in nature; and finally, it offers numerous “practical best practices” to avoid common pitfalls and eliminate most of the operational challenges that challenges DLP implementations.