Key Criteria for Evaluating Data Loss Prevention Solutionsv2.0

An Evaluation Guide for Technology Decision Makers

Table of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. Data Loss Prevention Primer
  3. Report Methodology
  4. Decision Criteria Analysis
  5. Evaluation Metrics
  6. Key Criteria: Impact Analysis
  7. Analyst’s Take
  8. About Paul Stringfellow

1. Summary

Data is at the core of today’s enterprise, and ensuring it’s protected and secure is at the top of its agenda. The cost of data loss is significant and its impact wide ranging: it can be technical (with loss of services impacting operational ability), reputational (impacting relationships and future business success), or financial (from loss of business to regulatory fines). Preventing data loss is a very high priority all around.

The complexity of the ways data is held today means companies must seek appropriate technology to reduce the risk of loss, and this is true for all businesses regardless of sector, size, or reputation. Information is stored in multiple repositories across the data center and the cloud and accessed from many locations and devices. The way data is used is also complex. It needs to be available and portable, in the right location at the right time, and available both internally and externally for collaboration with customers and partners. All of this access amounts to an environment from which data can be lost—accidentally or maliciously—with ease.

As the challenge of preventing data loss continues to evolve, so does the approach taken by technology vendors to address it. This is evident in the changes we see from our initial 2021 Key Criteria and Radar reports on data loss prevention (DLP) compared to this year’s reports. There’s an ongoing move toward simpler deployment models and an enhanced use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to allow more accurate identification of sensitive data. And importantly, many DLP vendors are building risk and threat management into their platforms.

Data loss impacts the entire business, not just IT, so finding the right DLP solution is a business problem that needs business thinking to solve. Taking risks with data is not acceptable for any enterprise; ensuring appropriate actions are taken to prevent data loss is essential, as is ensuring that the approach remains relevant and effective.

This GigaOm Key Criteria report details the criteria and evaluation metrics for selecting an effective DLP platform. The companion GigaOm Radar report identifies vendors and products that excel in those criteria and metrics. Together, these reports provide an overview of the category and its underlying technology, identify leading DLP offerings, and help decision-makers evaluate these platforms so they can make a more informed investment decision.

How to Read this Report

This GigaOm report is one of a series of documents that helps IT organizations assess competing solutions in the context of well-defined features and criteria. For a fuller understanding, consider reviewing the following reports:

Key Criteria report: A detailed market sector analysis that assesses the impact that key product features and criteria have on top-line solution characteristics—such as scalability, performance, and TCO—that drive purchase decisions.

GigaOm Radar report: A forward-looking analysis that plots the relative value and progression of vendor solutions along multiple axes based on strategy and execution. The Radar report includes a breakdown of each vendor’s offering in the sector.

Solution Profile: An in-depth vendor analysis that builds on the framework developed in the Key Criteria and Radar reports to assess a company’s engagement within a technology sector. This analysis includes forward-looking guidance around both strategy and product.

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