Data loss prevention (DLP) is a type of software that protects sensitive data against unauthorized access, use, sharing, or other egresses. DLP solutions also assist network administrators in controlling which data end-users may transfer.

Data loss and security breaches are an issue for any business. For those organizations that don’t have the technology, expertise, or budget to implement and manage their own DLP program in house, DLP as a service has emerged as a smart alternative. DLP as a service gives organizations immediate access to DLP technologies that continually monitor for and protect against insider threats and attempts at data exfiltration, managed by the DLP vendor’s own team of security analysts.

Most DLP as a service solutions includes basic features such as monitoring and policy management and include policy packages for meeting compliance standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, and others. Leading DLP as a service providers build on these core features with the following options:

          * Customized policy creation and reporting
24/7 monitoring of alerts and activity
          * Additional data protection features available as a service such as advanced threat protection
          * Flexible deployment and management architectures for customers that have policies against cloud-based managed security services

Companies today rely on email, collaboration tools, mobile devices, and other technologies that promote productivity. However, all of these technologies that connect companies – including their workers, contractors, suppliers, partners, and other business partners – also put organizations at risk, as individuals often are given access to corporate networks and sensitive data to help them do their jobs.

There obviously is a need for DLP solutions. However, on-site DLP solutions can be too complex for organizations that lack in-house security expertise, or too costly for smaller or midsize organizations. The cloud helps deliver DLP as a service to organizations that face these obstacles. DLP managed services make it possible for organizations of all sizes to quickly deploy DLP solutions and manage policies more easily, without burdening limited in-house resources or budgets.

One of the most significant benefits of choosing DLP as a service is gaining more protection from other customers’ experiences. Assigns of malware and other intrusions occur, DLP as a service provider can deploy protective policies across their entire customer base to help defend them against the same security issues. Incorporating threat intelligence from hundreds or thousands of DLP deployments around the world means that DLP as a service customer can keep up with emerging threats and ensure proactive protection before they are even targeted by a new type of attack.