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August 17, 2023 No Comments

By Josh Breaker-Rolfe

Gartner has ceased publishing its Magic Quadrant for data loss prevention (DLP). This is perhaps the death knell for the decades-old concept; Gartner tends to only retire Magic Quadrants for industries they deem to have stagnated or transformed into another industry entirely. DLP’s retirement suggests a harsh truth for organizations that rely on DLP for their data protection needs: DLP alone does not ensure the safety of sensitive data. 

This article will outline some best practices for securing your data after implementing DLP. 

Data Encryption

Data encryption is an essential element of any data protection policy. You must encrypt data at rest and in transit, on networks to prevent data loss from a cyberattack or insider threat, and on physical devices such as mobiles, laptops, and removable media to safeguard against physical theft or loss. Just last year, a Japanese city worker lost a USB stick containing the personal information of more than 460,000 people on a drunken night out; many situations can bring about a data breach, and you need to protect against them. Use technologies such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt your network communications. Use algorithms such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt your data storage. 

Access Controls

To prevent unauthorized individuals – even those inside an organization – can’t access any data not necessary for their role, enforce the principle of least privilege (PoLP). PoLP grants users only the permissions they need to perform their tasks. Similarly, you should implement role-based access controls (RBAC) to ensure that users can access only the relevant data to their roles. Finally, use robust authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.

User Training and Awareness

A staggering proportion (95%) of cyberattacks occur due to human error. As such, implementing security awareness training is the most effective way to reduce the risk of a data breach. Educate employees about data security best practices, including the importance of not sharing sensitive information, recognizing phishing attempts, and using secure passwords, and conduct regular training sessions and simulations to keep security awareness high among employees.

Endpoint Security

As the name suggests, your endpoints – physical devices that connect to your network – are your last opportunity to prevent your data from being lost and stolen. As such, endpoint security is critical to your data protection policy. You must deploy endpoint protection solutions that include antivirus, anti-malware, and firewall capabilities and implement device controls to manage and restrict the types of devices that can connect to your network.

Patch Management

On average, it takes an organization 60 days to patch a vulnerability. More than half of the time, a cybercriminal will exploit that vulnerability in less than a week. Prompt and effective patch management is crucial to any data protection policy. You must keep operating systems, software applications, and security solutions up to date with the latest patches and updates, as well as regularly assess vulnerabilities and apply patches to minimize potential entry points for attackers.

Network Security

You must implement firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems to monitor and control network traffic and segment your network to isolate critical systems from less sensitive areas and limit lateral movement in case of a breach.

Data Backup and Recovery

To ensure data availability and business continuity in the event of a data breach or ransomware attack, you must regularly back up your data to offsite locations. You must also periodically test data recovery procedures to ensure your backup strategy is effective.

Incident Response Plan

In the modern cybersecurity landscape, data breaches aren’t merely a risk but an inevitability. You must develop a comprehensive incident response plan to guide your actions in the event of a data breach or security incident. Similarly, you should define roles, responsibilities, and communication protocols to ensure a swift and coordinated response.

Continuous Monitoring

Security incidents can occur at any time. As such, you must implement continuous monitoring and security analytics to detect unusual activities or patterns that might indicate a security breach. You should also use security information and event management (SIEM) tools to centralize and correlate security event data.

Regular Audits and Assessments

Cybersecurity is a constant, ever-evolving process; Conduct periodic security audits and assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of your security controls and identify areas for improvement. Similarly, ensure that your security measures align with changing threats and regulatory requirements.

Vendor and Third-Party Risk Management

Some of the most significant cyberattacks in history have stemmed from a supply chain attack; you must assess the security practices of third-party vendors and partners who have access to your data, ensuring that they adhere to similar or compatible security standards to prevent data breaches through external channels.

Data Retention and Disposal

Establish data retention policies and procedures to ensure that data is kept only for as long as necessary. Implement secure data disposal methods, such as secure erasure or physical destruction, to prevent data leaks from discarded hardware. Many data protection regulations, including GDPR, mandate this practice. 

Remember that security is an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and adaptation to new threats. By combining DLP tools with these comprehensive security measures, you can create a robust defense against data breaches and unauthorized access, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of your sensitive information.

About the Author

Josh is a Content writer at Bora. He graduated with a degree in Journalism in 2021 and has a background in cybersecurity PR. He’s written on a wide range of topics, from AI to Zero Trust, and is particularly interested in the impacts of cybersecurity on the wider economy.