Today, thanks to developing technological opportunities, access to data has become easier. According to today’s conditions where life is shaped by technology, the information security sector has a very critical importance. This situation brings with it the problem of data security. Many studies are carried out for the classification of data, storage, restriction of users who will access the data, appointment of authorities and preventing the data from falling into the hands of unwanted third parties. DLP solutions are one of them. DLP solutions can be applied at different levels, including network, endpoint and cloud-based solutions.

The main purpose of DLP and Data classification is to protect critical data. To achieve this purpose, encryption, access controls, content filtering and monitoring of network traffic and users are required.

With a comprehensive DLP and Data Classification strategy, data breach risks are reduced and compliance with data protection regulations is ensured.

Data Analysis

The way organizations process the data they obtain in their operational activities varies from each other. Although there are some predefined policies in DLP technologies, they are often not sufficient for the organization. The obtained data must be blended with a set of predefined policies and organized for the needs of the organization.

In order to carry out the organization’s activities, the units other than IT are often the ones who obtain, create and use the actual data. For this reason, DLP solutions cannot be achieved without the participation of other units of the organization.

Data analysis must be created by discussing the business processes in which the data is used with all units of the organization that process and use data. With data analysis that is not created in a healthy way, the organization’s actual critical data cannot be tracked and protected. Because DLP technology can only work as effectively as the policies defined on it.

When these provisions are not complied with by Data Controllers and Institutions, administrative fines are imposed on Institutions and organizations within the scope of KVKK and in accordance with the laws specified in the Constitution.

Why is Data Classification Important?

It is the process of classifying personal and corporate data consistently according to predefined criteria. Thus, data can be protected effectively and efficiently. Some data should be shared only with institution employees and some data should be shared only with certain groups or individuals. The prerequisite for this is the correct classification of data.

Since important documents are frequently audited and are subject to legal compliance requirements, classification will also facilitate access to the source of this document. For example, classification plays an important role in finding out which department the document belongs to. While data related to sales and marketing does not have a security level, sales prices and quantities in the accounting department can be strategic information. Therefore, data should be classified according to its importance and protected according to this importance.

DLP Data Types

There are three different states of sensitive data in DLP systems. These are data at rest, in use, and in motion.

Data at Rest:

Data types used when necessary in databases, storage units, file systems. You can scan data at rest with DLP. Thus, you can find sensitive data according to specific content, file name, or a compliance profile.

Data in Use:

It is an active data type that is frequently updated by multiple users on a network and is linked to sensitive and confidential data. DLP products can take action on data in use, as well as copy-paste operations, with policies created as the user updates it.

Data in Motion:

It is a data type that is constantly moving within the network, such as e-mail, instant messaging, cloud, and portable devices or other exit points. Data in motion is vulnerable to various threats, including human error, network errors, insecure file sharing, malicious actions, and more. DLP products generally scan network traffic for sensitive information by addressing breaches and human errors in data in motion and do not allow critical information to leave the corporate environment.

DLP Types

Network DLP

It is designed to protect transferred data by monitoring traffic generated using SMTP/TLS, HTTP/HTTPS, IM and FTP protocols used on the network. You can also use it to stop data loss via e-mail, Web, etc.

Endpoint DLP

It ensures protection by monitoring data stored on used Laptops and Desktops. It discovers, monitors and protects confidential/secure information by scanning environments where information such as Local Disks, Portable Drives, E-mail, Web and IM are used and stored on clients. It provides control of copying data to USB drives, writing CDs/DVDs, downloading, printing, faxing information to local disks, transferring over the network and encrypted high security content.