Data-loss Prevention Technologies: a Drug in the Market?

Security & Risk Management Summit was held by Eric Ouellet, Gartner’s analyst, concerning the problem of data-loss prevention (DLP).

He said that DLP software including a discovery tool, host-based software and a network-based appliance is still high-priced. But unfortunately, when organizations spend so much money to buy it they even don’t deploy it fully for two-three years.

DLP attracts its corporate customers as the currently developing financial office is too hazardous in terms of a data loss. However, this software is primarily used by IT department without engaging other business divisions.

For instance, if such subdivisions as finance and human resources that need to interact with employees and set up policies effectively participated in DLP process, then this software employment would be much more effective. We all know that corporate behaviour of employees can be characterized as data-sharing which can be easily monitored by the DLP software or hardware.

Ouellet comments that though DLP is a definitely IT technology, its primary function is to manage compliance – not IT data. DLP is designed to monitor for crucial intellectual property loss which can occur as a result of data transmission using an unauthorized way which has no encryption.