IT executives around the world know the sinking feeling that occurs when a security manager shows up in the doorway with an urgent look on his face saying “I need a minute.”  Whatever the cause, a security incident that results in the unintended exposure of sensitive information can have a dramatic impact on any organization.

Data loss prevention (DLP) products can help reduce the risk of this type of exposure, preventing both malicious and unintentional data leaks. For many years, enterprise security meant building a secure fence around the IT assets belonging to an organization and making sure that only authorized individuals and devices crossed that fence. Firewalls, intrusion detection systems, virtual private networks and other security controls emerged to help security professionals build that fence.  However, the days of perimeter-based security are numbered.  Users are increasingly demanding remote access to enterprise data and it is more and more common to see organizations granting this access.

This shift to a global network requires a corresponding shift in the way organizations think about security.  Security controls must now focus on data, rather than networks or devices.  Instead of building virtual fences around geographic locations, enterprises should think about drawing fences around particular data elements.  DLP solutions provide that data-based fencing capability.

Read the full white paper: Data Loss Prevention