Today’s hybrid network environments are more complex than ever. With workforces and offices now widely distributed, data is actively used across thousands of endpoints, managed and unmanaged, on and off the network. In this new complex environment, insider threats, whether intentional data exfiltration or accidental leaks, add significant challenges for organizations.
The rapid adoption of cloud technologies and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications has transformed data security. As cloud-based applications replace on-premises, defending data from cyberthreats becomes more complicated. And emerging tools like generative AI (genAI), used with or without authorization, further amplify risks if not used properly.
Data is used everywhere, and we need expanded visibility into the activities and behaviors potentially putting that data at risk. And at the heart of this data use are employees, partners, and other insiders.
The limitations of traditional data loss prevention solutions
One of the biggest challenges is that legacy data loss prevention (DLP) tools struggle to meet modern data security needs. Their dependence on lengthy processes—data discovery, classification, and policy creation—results in slow time to value. As a result, organizations can face months of delays before deriving tangible protection, leaving sensitive data exposed in the meantime.
Further, traditional DLP solutions face common challenges:
- Manual Processes: They require extensive data discovery and classification.
- Ongoing Tuning: Their policies must be continually refined to reduce false positives.
- High Cost and Complexity: They often rely on expensive, on-premises deployments with delayed ROI.
- Limited Context: They provide limited insight into the user behavior driving violations.
- Narrow Focus: While they can effectively protect structured data (such as PII and PHI), they often miss unstructured data that may prove sensitive, such as in imagery and audio files, text in documents or emails, and sensor data.
- Visibility Gaps: They also fail to secure SaaS platforms, messaging tools, and endpoints.
These limitations often force organizations to turn off preventative features, fearing disruptions from false positives. Simply put, traditional DLP solutions no longer align with the pace and complexity of today’s hybrid, cloud-driven environments.
Enter next-gen cloud-native DLP solutions
Modern data protection demands a modern approach. Cloud-native, endpoint-driven, next-gen DLP solutions are a significant leap forward in data protection. They address the limitations of traditional DLP tools with advanced intelligent capabilities. They also merge data loss prevention with insider risk management for end-to-end coverage of the cause and effect of data exfiltration and leakage by insiders. Combining real-time visibility of business data flows, ML-powered baselining of individual user behavior, contextual and content-level inspection at the point of access of sensitive data, and rapid deployment, next-gen DLP solutions streamline data loss prevention and enable organizations to protect sensitive data directly.
Key advantages that make next-gen DLP essential for protecting sensitive data in today’s complex, cloud-driven environments include:
- Immediate Visibility into Business Data Flows: Next-gen DLP solutions provide immediate visibility into data’s engagement and use by insiders (employees, users, others with network access). This visibility paves the way for security and IT teams to see how and what data is being interacted with and to determine where there is cause for concern or where policies might be necessary to address questionable behavior.
- Faster Time to Value: Unlike traditional tools, next-gen DLP doesn’t require exhaustive upfront data discovery and classification. Instead, it performs real-time contextual and content-level inspections at the point of data access, instantly identifying sensitive data in use or related motion.
- Policy-less Protection: Though a next-gen DLP solution may have predefined policy templates, next-gen DLP solutions don’t require upfront policy formulation before they can begin to protect data.
- Ease of Use: Intuitive interfaces, real-time dashboards, and automated workflows simplify data loss prevention, even for teams without extensive DLP expertise. Policies can be applied out of the box, reducing complexity and delivering immediate protection.
- Seamless Integration: Next-gen DLP is designed to work with existing tools, including cloud storage, email platforms, collaboration apps (Slack, Teams, Zoom), and more.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Next-gen DLP solutions ensure consistent data protection across all potential points of egress of sensitive data. This includes web browsing activity, email, corporate and personal data stores, SaaS applications, printers, local storage, and more. For example, suppose an employee tries uploading sensitive files to personal cloud storage. Next-gen DLP can block the action and capture evidence (such as screenshots) for forensic capture and later analysis.
- Behavioral Insights and Insider Risk Management: Beyond prevention, next-gen DLP tools provide full visibility into user interactions with sensitive data. Organizations gain insights into high-risk users and insider threats by identifying risky behavior like unauthorized data movement, enabling proactive mitigation.
- Real-Time User Nudges: These solutions promote user awareness and accountability through pop-up messaging or “nudges.” For instance, if an employee attempts to share sensitive information externally, the tool can warn them of the risk and require a justification before proceeding. This drives better data handling practices while blocking malicious or negligent actions or taking some other directed policy action.
Why next-gen DLP is urgently needed
The consequences of a successful data breach or inadvertent disclosure are often devastating, whether caused by malicious insiders, a disgruntled employee, or a negligent or uninformed user. Customer data, intellectual property, and financial assets remain high-value targets. And in modern, distributed work environments, the risks are amplified.
Unlike legacy tools, next-gen DLP solutions deliver immediate, out-of-the-box protection without lengthy setups. They provide real-time detection and response with minimal false positives. They also extend the visibility of sensitive data and its usage across endpoints.
For example, a next-gen DLP solution can identify and block unauthorized uploads to a GenAI tool while capturing evidence of the attempt. These real-time, automated responses enhance security while preserving business continuity.
A modern solution for a modern challenge
Data is the backbone of today’s organizations, and safeguarding it requires solutions that align with our work styles and activities. Legacy DLP tools can no longer effectively address the reality of today’s complex hybrid environments, so next-gen DLP solutions emerged to provide security and IT teams with a better approach. Next-gen cloud-native DLP solutions provide organizations with faster time to value, immediate visibility into data flows and user activity, and comprehensive, real-time protection. They can also seamlessly integrate with modern business tools while enabling proactive risk management and fostering user accountability.
As organizations contend with insider risks and rising data complexity, modern DLP solutions are no longer optional but essential. By delivering more intelligent, faster, and more comprehensive data protection, next-gen DLP solutions empower businesses to secure their most valuable asset: their data.
Discover how FortiDLP combines powerful endpoint data loss prevention and insider risk management to help organizations anticipate and prevent data theft.
