DATA LEAKAGE

Data Leakage
Kakara Nareen Babu
Wilmington University

DATA LEAKAGE

Abstract

In this paper it is mainly focused on the what is Data Leakage and How does data leakage
occur in an organization and what are the steps. What leads to this problem that faces an
organization and how it gonna be troublesome trend.

DATA LEAKAGE

Data Leakage
The unauthorized transfer of classified information from a computer or datacenter to the
out sideworld. Data leakage can be accomplished by simply mentally remembering what was
seen, by physical removal of tapes,disks and reports or by subtle means such as data hiding.
(pcmag) DLP identifies, monitors and protects data in use, data in motion on your network, and
data at rest in your data storage area or on desktops, laptops, mobile phones or tablets. Through
deep content inspection and a contextual security analysis of transactions, DLP systems act as
enforcers of data security policies. They provide a centralized management framework
designed to detect and prevent the unauthorized use and transmission of your confidential
information. DLP protects against mistakes that lead to data leaks and intentional misuse by
insiders, as well as external attacks on your information infrastructure.
Here are the reasons where how an organiztion can lost its data,
Companys confidential data is being stored, where its being sent and who is accessing it: DLP
technology provides IT and security staff with a 360degree view of the location, flow

and usage of data across the enterprise. It checks network actions against your organizations
security policies, and allows you to protect and control sensitive data, including customer
information, personally identifiable information (PII), financial data and intellectual property.
With a thorough understanding of this data, your organization can set the appropriate policies to
protect it, and make riskprioritized decisions about what assets need to be protected and at what
cost.
Company has a plan for protecting data from external intruders, but does not protect against theft
and accidental disclosure of sensitive information by employees and partners:
Not all data loss is the result of external, malicious attacks. The inadvertent disclosure or
mishandling of confidential data by internal employees is a significant factor. DLP can detect files
that contain confidential information and prevent them from leaving via the network. It can block

DATA LEAKAGE

sensitive data transfers to Universal Serial Bus (USB) drives and other removable media. DLP
also offers the ability to apply policies that safeguard data on a casebycase basis. For example,
if a security event is detected, access to a specific workstation can be blocked instantly. Policies
can also quarantine or encrypt data in realtime response to events.
Organization would like to proactively prevent the misuse of data at endpoints, both on and
off the corporate network.
DLP technology monitors all endpoint activitywhether on smartphones, tablets, laptops or
desktops, on the corporate network or off. It can block emails or attachments containing
confidential data, enforce policies on the transfer of data to removable media devices such as
USB thumb drives, and even prevent activities such as printing, copying and pasting. DLP offers
complete data visibility and control, ensuring that employees, thirdparty vendors, contractors and
partners are prevented from leaking your dataintentionally or inadvertently.(FOCUS)
The common cause for this Data leakage are Viruses and damaging malware,Deleting
files accidentally.The top risk of losing data is deleting files or parts of texts without having
any backups available,Mechanical damages of hard drive,Power failures,Theft of
computer,Fire accidents and explosions (Data backup and online storage)
While there are plenty of tools on the market for keeping mobile and stationary data from
leaving the company surreptitiously, the best ones use a combination of prevention and
detection methods, such as a detection engine and a data blocker.
However, before doing anything, it's crucial to understand what data types are being protected and
the level of risk. You should create and codify data classification levels for all of your company's
data according to the organization's IT security standards. Data types can be ranked on a scale
from low to high, based on the risk of its loss or exposure.(TechTarget)

DATA LEAKAGE

Reference
Pcmag, Data leakage
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/61834/dataleakage

Focus, AUTHOR: David Poarch Anne Grahn Davie ParkGreg Martin ,

http://focus.forsythe.com/articles/19/10ReasonsWhyYourOrganizationNeedsDataLossPrevention

Data backup and online storage,7 Greatest Causes of Data Loss,

http://www.databackuponlinestorage.com/7_Causes_of_Data_Loss

TechTarget, Data leakage detection and prevention ,by joel dubin

http://searchfinancialsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/Dataleakagedetectionandprevention