What is the Difference Between Data Loss Prevention and Data Leakage Prevention

The main difference between data loss prevention and data leakage prevention is that data loss prevention refers to using methods to prevent loss of data during general use while data leakage prevention refers to using methods to prevent data transmitting to someone outside the organization.

Generally, data is important to every individual and business organization. Business organizations store data on employees, business transactions, customers and many more. However, there are situations such as data loss and data leakage, which poses a big security loss. Thus, it is necessary to use methods to prevent data loss and data leakage.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Data Loss Prevention
     -Definition, Functionality
2. What is Data Leakage Prevention
     -Definition, Functionality
3. Difference Between Data Loss Prevention and Data Leakage Prevention
     -Comparison of key differences

Key Terms

Data Loss Prevention, Data Leakage Prevention

What is Data Loss Prevention

Data loss refers to a loss of data that is intentional or accidental. It is not possible to access the data because data is lost. Generally, data loss can occur in any device that stores data. Data loss happens due to hardware failures such as memory or disk failure, power outages or due to an environmental disaster such as a flood. Furthermore, data loss can also occur by deleting data accidentally or purposefully. Malware such as viruses can cause data loss purposefully. Overall, data loss prevention refers to focusing on these situations and taking measures to avoid data loss. Making backup files and using anti-malware software are two options to prevent data loss.

What is Data Leakage Prevention

Data leakage refers to flowing sensitive data out of the organization. In other words, data is transmitted to someone outside the organization. The data can belong to a critical system of the organization. Some examples are data in the human resource system, ERP, or cloud. Moreover, data leaking can be a physical or electronic transmission.

Data leakage can be unintentionally or intentional. For example, take the case of an employee taking an office report home and forgets that report inside a bus or train, and someone else takes that file. Here, this is a scenario of data leakage that happens unintentionally. On the other hand, take the case of an employee sending an important file of the organization to someone who does not have the legal right to obtain that information. Here, this is intentional data leakage.

Furthermore, using data flow maps are useful to understand data leakage risks. Additionally, the organization has to detect sensitive data and to implement privacy laws. These are some data leakage prevention mechanisms.

Difference Between Data Loss Prevention and Data Leakage Prevention

Definition

Data loss prevention is a way of preventing data from situations such as lost, steeling and malware attacks. In contrast, data leakage prevention is a way of preventing data flowing out of the organization to an illegal party.

Usage

Moreover, data loss prevention involves preventing data loss from hardware failures, natural disasters or malware. On the other hand, data leakage prevention involves safeguarding the sensitive data that is critical to the organization.

Methods

Besides, making backup files and using anti-malware software are ways of achieving data loss prevention while enforcing privacy laws and implementing data flow maps are ways of achieving data leakage prevention.

Complexity

Furthermore, data leakage prevention is more complex than data loss prevention.

Conclusion

In brief, data loss prevention and data leakage prevention are used interchangeably, but they have a difference. The main difference between data loss prevention and data leakage prevention is that data loss prevention is to use methods to prevent loss of data during general use while data leakage prevention is to use methods to prevent data transmitting to someone outside the organization.

References:

1.“Data Loss vs. Data Leakage Prevention: Whats the Difference?” The Informatica Blog – Perspectives for the Data Ready Enterprise, 25 Mar. 2019, Available here.
2.“Data Loss Prevention Software.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 May 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1.”Types of data.” By João Batista Neto – Data types – pt br.svg (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia