What We Can Expect from Data Loss Prevention Tools
As the data loss protection market grows there is concern that DLP tools will be cast as a silver bullet. This is a regular problem in IT. The new kid on the block with save us all. In the case of data loss prevention, there is a lot that can be done but there are things it can't do. (For more technical details, listen to this recent podcast on the pros and cons of network-based and host-based DLP tools).
Here is another take on the state of DLP functionality for NetworkWorld:
Platforms that detect when sensitive corporate data is leaked are more effective against people making honest errors than they are against criminals trying to steal the data, says one analyst.A small percentage of data that leaks from corporate networks (0.5%) is stolen by professionals whose efforts will evade detection by security products touted as data-leakage prevention tools, says Nick Selby, an analyst with 451 Group who spoke at the Security Standard conference Monday.
The usefulness of these tools goes beyond preventing accidental data loss:
The problem of keeping corporate data safe is complicated, he says, because most businesses don’t have any idea where all their data is, much less have it classified as sensitive or not. Leakage products can be useful because they crawl network databases, locating and categorizing data.
Also, host-based intrusion prevention/data loss prevention can help to make intentional theft more difficult.
Host-based and network-based defenses are both needed and multiple kinds of countermeasures are needed at each level (like anti-virus, content filtering, etc). So we can expect DLP to start rolling into broader host and network security applications.
Nick Selby, an analyst with 451 Group noted in the NetworkWorld article that:
within 19 months, data-leakage technology will be blended in with other products that scan network traffic. He advises customers of such products to buy from vendors that offer more than just data-leakage products so they are more likely to be in business in a year or two when they need support.
This will help some, especially small and midsized businesses that seem more ready to adopt unified threat management (UTM) tools.
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