Data Loss Prevention Best Practices

In August 2022, telecommunications company T-Mobile suffered a data breach that exposed the personal information of millions of customers.

A 21-year-old US citizen by the name of John Binns, then living in Turkey, claimed that he was the main mastermind of the attack. He said that he first accessed T-Mobile's network in July through a router that was apparently unprotected. He then proceeded to gain entry into a data center. Once in the data center, he navigated through over 100 servers and eventually landed on critical servers that stored the personal data of millions of customers. According to initial reports, the number of compromised customers went as high as 100 million, though T-Mobile's report put the number at about 50 Million.

But T-Mobile is not alone. This data breach, among the many that many other companies continue to experience every year, highlights what can go wrong when an organization fails to strictly observe Data Loss Prevention Best Practices. 

In the age of digitalization and interconnectedness, data is the lifeblood of organizations. Sensitive information, proprietary data, and customer records form the backbone of business operations. 

As the value of data continues to soar, safeguarding it becomes paramount to an organization's success and reputation. 

In this article, we delve into the world of Data Loss Prevention (DLP), exploring the best practices for 2023-2024. 

Understanding Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a proactive approach to safeguarding sensitive data from unauthorized access, leakage, or accidental loss. 

DLP works by deploying a combination of solutions and policies to create a multi-layered defense system. The system identifies, monitors, and protects sensitive data throughout the lifecycle.

The first step in DLP implementation involves data discovery and classification. You need to identify where sensitive data resides within your ecosystem. This process may include scanning endpoints, servers, databases, and cloud storage. The end product of the scanning should be  an accurate inventory of all the sensitive data. 

Once identified, data is classified based on its sensitivity level, business impact, and regulatory requirements. This classification makes it easy to prioritize data protection efforts. Critical data must always receive the highest level of security.

Also Read: Importance of Vulnerability Scanning

Top Data Loss Prevention Best Practices

What do we mean by Data Loss Prevention (DLP) best practices?

These are a set of tried-and-tested strategies that are carefully designed to protect an organization’s critical data assets. The goal is to ensure compliance with data protection regulations, and significantly reduce the risk of data breaches that lead to data loss.

When you implement these best practices, your company can establish a strong defense against data loss. This will, in turn, guarantee the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your invaluable data assets.

The following are the most prominent Data Loss Prevention best practices that your organization should adopt.

1. Assess Risks Regularly

Conduct frequent risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and potential areas of data leakage. This best practice ensures that you stay ahead of potential threats and take proactive measures to mitigate risks.

How do you go about this? 

Begin by identifying all potential data sources, storage locations, and data transmission channels within your organization. Evaluate the possible threats and vulnerabilities associated with each data asset. This may include factors like external cyber threats, insider risks, or accidental data exposure. Assess the impact of a potential data breach on your business operations, financials, and reputation. 

Assign a risk level to each identified vulnerability based on its likelihood and potential impact. Regularly review and update these assessments to stay abreast of evolving risks and ensure your Data Loss Prevention measures remain robust over time.

Also Read: Vulnerability Assessment Types and Best Practices

2. Encrypt Sensitive Data

Utilize encryption for sensitive data both at rest and in transit. 

Encryption ensures that even if data is compromised, unauthorized parties cannot access the actual data without the decryption key. Start by identifying sensitive data that needs encryption

Choose strong encryption algorithms like AES, and apply encryption to data at rest on servers or storage devices, as well as during data transmission using protocols like TLS/SSL. 

Safeguard encryption keys separately from the encrypted data. They should be  accessible only to authorized personnel. Remember to update your encryption protocols on a regular basis.

Also Read: Understanding the Power of Zero-Knowledge Encryption

3. Train and Educate Employees

Educate your employees about the importance of data security and their role in preventing data loss. 

Regular training sessions will raise awareness of common threats like phishing and social engineering, and encourage responsible data handling practices.

Be sure to cover important topics like identifying phishing attempts, secure data handling, and the significance of protecting sensitive information. Engage employees through interactive methods like quizzes or simulations. Highlight the potential consequences of data breaches, both for the organization and individuals. Provide clear data security policies and guidelines for easy reference. 

Tailor the training content based on employees' roles and the data they handle to make it more relevant. Reinforce best practices through regular reminders via email or internal communications.

Also Read: Benefits of Cybersecurity Awareness Training

4. Control and Manage Access

Implement strict access controls to limit data access to authorized personnel only. Use role-based access controls (RBAC) and regularly review and update user permissions to prevent unauthorized data access.

Please note that access controls can apply to various individuals or entities with permissions to access data or resources within an organization. This can include employees, contractors, vendors, partners, or any other authorized users who need access to specific data or systems. So it’s not just employees.

5. Monitor and Log Data Activity

Implement real-time monitoring and logging of data activity across the organization. This will help you detect any suspicious behavior, unusual data transfers, or potential data exfiltration attempts promptly.

Define baseline behaviors to identify unusual or suspicious data activity, such as large data transfers or access from unauthorized locations.

Also Read:

• What is SIEM?
• Best SIEM Tools

6. Segment the Network

Segment your network to restrict data movement and isolate sensitive data from general network traffic. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and reduces the impact of a potential breach.

Determine which parts of the network need to be isolated from each other to minimize the risk of lateral movement in case of a breach. Implement firewalls and access controls to restrict communication between network segments. 

Ensure that each segment has its own set of security measures, such as separate authentication mechanisms and user permissions.

Regularly monitor and audit network segmentation to identify any misconfigurations or unauthorized attempts to breach the isolated segments.

7. Implement Mobile Device Management (MDM)

If your employees use mobile devices for work, implement Mobile Device Management solutions. MDM enables you to enforce security policies, remotely wipe data from lost devices, and control data access on mobile endpoints.

So you want to pass a policy that requires all mobile devices used for work to be registered with the MDM system to ensure central visibility and control.

Some examples of Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions include:

• Jamf Pro
• Rippling
• JumpCloud
• ManageEngine Endpoint Central
• Kandji

Also Read: How To Create BYOD and Mobile Device Management Policy

8. Backup Data and Plan for Disasters

Maintain regular data backups and disaster recovery plans. Backups protect against data loss from hardware failures, cyberattacks, or accidental deletions. A solid recovery plan ensures business continuity in case of a major data breach.

Consider using both on-premises and cloud-based backup solutions for redundancy. Regularly test data backups to verify their integrity and accessibility. 

In parallel, establish a well-defined disaster recovery plan that outlines procedures for restoring operations after a data loss event. 

Assign clear roles and responsibilities to key personnel, and conduct periodic drills to ensure everyone is familiar with the recovery process.

Also Read:

• Disaster Recovery Testing Best Practices
• What is RPO and RTO in Disaster Recovery
• IT Resilience vs. Disaster Recovery: What is the Difference?

9. Review and Update Policies Regularly

Review and update your data protection policies periodically in order to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape and organizational changes. This continuous improvement approach ensures that your DLP measures remain effective over time.

Involve key stakeholders to gather insights and address any emerging risks or compliance requirements.

Please communicate all policy updates to all employees and provide training on the changes.

Also Read: How to Develop Network Security Policy with Examples

10. Implement Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a security method that requires users to provide two or more forms of identification before gaining access to an account or system.

To implement MFA effectively, select at least two authentication factors, such as passwords, smartphones, or biometrics. Integrate MFA into all critical systems, applications, and remote access points.

Ensure that MFA is applied to both internal and external access points, including VPNs, email accounts, and cloud services.

Consider using MFA-supported identity and access management (IAM) systems or third-party MFA solutions.

Examples of IAM Systems with MFA support include:

• Azure Active Directory (Azure AD
• Okta
• Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)

Third-Party MFA Solutions include:

• Duo Security
• RSA SecurID
• Yubico

When selecting an MFA solution, consider factors such as compatibility with your existing infrastructure, ease of integration, user experience, and the level of security it provides.

11. Document Incidents and Report Regularly

Implement a system that continuously documents all security incidents and data breaches, even minor ones. Important details could include the date, time, affected data, and actions taken to mitigate the impact. Incident documentation helps in post-mortem analysis to understand the root causes and implement preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Regular reporting is equally crucial to assess the effectiveness of your DLP program. Generate comprehensive reports on data security metrics, such as the number of incidents, types of incidents, response times, and trends over time. These reports provide valuable insights and help identify areas that may need improvement.

Consider sharing security reports with key stakeholders, including senior management and the board of directors. Transparent reporting highlights the organization's commitment to data security. Based on these reports, decision-makers are able to arrive at informed choices about resource allocation for strengthening data protection.

Consider utilizing data visualization techniques to present the information in a clear and understandable format. Visual representations, such as charts and graphs, make it easier for non-technical stakeholders to grasp insights faster.

Conclusion

Data Loss Prevention is a continuous game. Hackers, for instance, are aggressively searching for vulnerabilities and exploiting various cyber attack vectors, as exemplified by the case of T-Mobile's unprotected router. 

As we learnt, self-proclaimed hacker John Binns openly admitted to actively seeking gaps in T-Mobile's defenses, and eventually, he succeeded.

This illustrates the perpetual pursuits of hackers, who only need to find one vulnerability to achieve their goals. 

It is crucial to recognize that seemingly minor vulnerabilities and routine best practices might come across as cliché or mundane. However, disregarding these essential measures could lead to a significant data loss for your organization. Hence, it is paramount never to ignore or underestimate the importance of these best practices.

Moreover, data loss is not solely limited to the actions of hackers. Even authorized users, such as employees and partners, can inadvertently make errors that lead to data loss. Therefore, it becomes imperative to implement these Data Loss Prevention (DLP) best practices across the board, encompassing all aspects of your organization.