Data Loss Prevention Strategies
Cloud is ubiquitous now; with all big and small enterprises going for cloud-based working systems. This has surely increased the levels of work productivity considerably with employees’ free access to data, but at the same time, cost heavily on data security, by making data thefts an everyday affair now. When you want your confidential data to be secure, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) can be the key to provide that much-needed powerful data protection. Learning Data Loss Prevention Strategies could help many cloud users to master techniques to protect their data and fight against all cloud attacks.
Strategies for Deployment of Data Leakage Prevention Solution
- Combining Research Results: Research is the first step towards the implementation of DLP. Since implementing DLP is going to cost your company a substantial amount of investment, it is better than some research about the vendors and the solutions they offer is done beforehand. Some offer robust and customized features and some may offer less. Know how the data moves in your organization and leverage your professional network. Ask for referrals from your peers and know what they have implemented.
- Know Your Business Requirements: Before settling on a DLP vendor, know what the actual organization requirement is for DLP. Study the environment in which the confidential data moves and make sure that the solution offers transparency, compatibility, customer service and good performance.
- Identify Security Requirements: Know the areas where the Data Loss Prevention strategies are to be implemented. Each business has a different set of requirements. You may have less personal information to be secured whereas some might need that all the information be secured. It may happen that you may not need to block anything but just limit user access. So, identify and define the security you need at each level in the organization.
- Communications: DLP is necessarily a collaborative solution. Involve all the key stakeholders of the organization like the IT, HR, Legal, Accounts and Internal Audit. Convey the message how implementing DLP can protect sensitive data and give the organization a competitive edge. Once they understand the concept, it will help you after implementation of the DLP to get their support. And always keep the stakeholders informed and communicate with them about the progress or the problems faced when using DLP.
- Review DLP Options: Once you decide on investing in a particular DLP solution, your next step forward would be to review the type of solution required. Data loss prevention strategies come in different forms including software, hardware or cloud-based solutions. Depending on the organization data and what set of confidential data you need to protect, you may have to select the best-fit DLP solution. That may include either exclusive use of any type of data loss prevention strategies like only cloud-based, hardware-based, and software-based or a combination of these types.
- Roles That Need to be Followed: Once you decide on the type of DLP that will be implemented in your organization, start to look into the roles and responsibilities that will follow after implementation when the DLP is put into practice. Make a chart and allocate resources and personnel required for the working and maintenance of the data loss prevention solution. Jot down details like who will be responsible, who needs to be consulted and who will be informed regarding the care and activities of the DLP solution. This will help the organization to segregate roles and clearly define the tasks that need to be undertaken. Doing so will also reduce the conflicts that may arise with other support groups thus helping in successful implementation.
Implementation of Data Loss Prevention Strategies and developing Documentation
When the module for the DLP solution is finalized, proper deployment of it is utmost necessary. These days data loss prevention strategies are a powerful solution and any improper implementation may affect the key components of communication within the organization. Deploy the solution first to the high-risk data areas and get the stakeholders used to its functioning. Then slowly expand it to other areas within the organization. Start with the monitoring process first and then slowly graduate to the blocking and auto-encryption processes. Keep your support staff well-trained and ready to accept the help desk calls and to be able to respond to them effectively.
Summation
With cloud-based networks surmounting the corporate clan of companies, practicing data loss prevention strategies are a must to have in any organization today. But the finer point is in the way you prepare for its implementation so that you will not have to suffer its after-effects. All DLP methods require certain well-trained staff to be able to respond to them effectively.
