Data loss prevention (DLP) is a type of software that protects sensitive data against unauthorized access, use, sharing, or other egress. DLP solutions also assist network administrators in controlling which data end users may transfer. In 2014 Gartner identified DLP as the fastest growing segment of IT security and predicted a CAGR of nearly 19% through 2018. In the same report, Gartner also predicted that more than half of companies would rely on managed services for data protection, security risk management, and security infrastructure management by 2018. DLP as a service is becoming a popular example of these managed data protection offerings.

Data loss and security breaches are an issue for any business. For those organizations that don’t have the technology, expertise, or budget to implement and manage their own DLP program in house, DLP as a service has emerged as a smart alternative. DLP as a service gives organizations immediate access to DLP technologies that continually monitor for and protect against insider threats and attempts at data exfiltration, managed by the DLP vendor’s own team of security analysts.