Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a set of tools and processes designed to ensure that sensitive or confidential data on your network is not lost, stolen or misused by unauthorized users, hackers or compromised / malicious insiders.

By utilizing both DLP software and techniques, security professionals can stop data loss on their networks, preventing costly security events from occurring before they start.

• DLP softwares use Business Rules to classify and protect confidential and critical information.
• Unauthorized end users cannot accidentally or maliciously share data.
• Data disclosure could put the organization at risk.

Example: If an employee tried to forward a business email outside the corporate domain or upload a corporate file to a consumer cloud storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive etc. the employee would be denied permission.

• Insider threats.
• More rigorous state privacy laws, many of which have a stringent data protection or access components.

In addition to being able to monitor and control endpoint activities, some DLP tools can also be used to filter data streams on the corporate network and protect data in motion.