There’s no denying cloud computing is growing in importance for enterprises. It increases collaboration and flexibility while simplifying work streams and cutting costs. But the cloud can increase the risk of data loss or theft if not properly managed. Employees may upload sensitive information to unvetted, third-party cloud vendors or respond to critical work emails from unprotected personal devices, leaving enterprise information in danger of a breach.

June 10, 2015

3 Min Read
Symantec’s DLP Solution: Three Cloud Considerations

By Symantec Guest Blog

There’s no denying cloud computing is growing in importance for enterprises. It increases collaboration and flexibility while simplifying work streams and cutting costs. But the cloud can increase the risk of data loss or theft if not properly managed. Employees may upload sensitive information to unvetted, third-party cloud vendors or respond to critical work emails from unprotected personal devices, leaving enterprise information in danger of a breach.

Symantec Email Security.cloud, the market leading SaaS email security platform, offers multiple ways to protect and control sensitive information, as well as reduce the risk of data loss over email. To help companies fully realize all the benefits of the cloud securely, Symantec recently introduced Data Loss Prevention 14, a content-aware technology that provides the control and visibility enterprises need to secure sensitive information. DLP prevents users from syncing sensitive work files from their desktop to their personal accounts from cloud and email services.  

This solution fills an unmet need in the market for robust, enterprise-grade data protection, and our partners have an opportunity to leverage this offering to position themselves as providers of cloud security and data loss prevention solutions.

To help guide customer conversations about DLP and cloud security, I’ve compiled three considerations for partners:

1. DLP challenges almost every enterprise

According to a Ponemon study, 62% of respondents say it is acceptable to transfer work documents to personal computers, tablets, smartphones or online file sharing applications. The majority never delete the data they’ve moved because they do not see any harm in keeping it.  Companies need smart solutions to protect their data and rein in shadow IT. Partners can become a trusted customer adviser by acknowledging this enterprise challenge, staying up-to-date on the latest cloud security technology and understanding Symantec’s portfolio, including DLP 14.

2. Symantec DLP’s competitive differentiators

Symantec is committed to arming our partners with innovative solutions to solve the most pressing problems customers face. DLP 14 includes cutting-edge detection technologies for data and documents and Vector Machine Learning, which protects intellectual property that can be challenging to identify. DLP is also available with the following add-ons (sold as separate SKUs):

  • DLP for Cloud Email: Symantec DLP 14 now supports Microsoft Office 365 for companies that are using it for cloud-based email.

  • DLP for Cloud Storage: Symantec DLP for Box seamlessly integrates with the Box platform to monitor employee accounts, offering deep analysis into what information is considered sensitive, how this information is being used and with whom it's being shared.

By combining the DLP for Cloud Email and DLP for Cloud Storage add-ons, customers can protect data both on-premise or in the cloud, as well as extend the same policies for on-premise data to the cloud.

3. Keep your head in the cloud

Partners can leverage the DLP solution to set up broader discussions about their customers’ cloud strategy and needs. Partners can make the most of these conversations by highlighting other Symantec offerings, such as Symantec Email Security.cloud. Additionally, partners should use product subscription renewals as an opportunity to check in and reassess customer needs to determine if additional solutions are required.

Symantec’s new DLP offering is proof of our commitment to the cloud and helping our partners remain relevant by offering innovative solutions. Partners can learn more about DLP and additional Symantec cloud offerings on PartnerNet. Also, be sure to check in with your Symantec partner representative to start a conversation about the company’s cloud security strategy.

Stephen Thomas is vice president, channel sales, at Symantec. Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of The VAR Guy's annual platinum sponsorship.

 

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