Gartner defines data loss prevention (DLP) as a technical control designed to prevent data loss in order to comply with personal data regulations, prevent unintended disclosure, minimize insider risk and ensure that sensitive data is not overly accessible. DLP controls are typically applied to reduce the data risk for two states of unstructured data: data at rest and data in motion. Depending on the state of the data, DLP applies detective, preventive or corrective controls, including alerting, quarantining, blocking, redaction or access restriction.
Removable media security refers to set of policies, technologies and best practices to protect data and systems from the risk associated with portable storage devices. These devices, known as removable media, include USB flash drives, External hard drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), memory cards, smartphones and tablets etc. Removable media security prevents data breaches and malware infections by controlling and monitoring the use of USB drives, external disks, and other portable devices within an organization. This proactive protection helps maintain regulatory compliance, offers peace of mind through detailed audit trails, and reduces the risk of costly downtime or data loss due to unsafe media usage. This security framework includes access restrictions, mandatory encryption, malware scanning, and ongoing user education to prevent costly breaches or compliance violations. In enterprise settings, it is crucial for employees, IT staff, contractors, and vendors who routinely transfer, back up, or share sensitive business data using removable devices. These users are required to comply with security protocols to keep corporate networks and confidential information safe. Typical features include data encryption, device control and malware scanning.