Top 7 Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Software [2024]: Ratings, Reviews, Features

The year 2024 saw a rise of 21% of incidents related to data security breaches. Information leaks have been on the rise, with sensitive data flowing through countless devices and networks. So, how can businesses protect their data from such cybersecurity threats?

The answer is using a DLP or data loss prevention software to protect your organization’s information assets. 

Choosing the right data loss prevention system can save you from costly vulnerabilities and enable advanced security measures. Hence, we have compiled a list of the top data loss prevention (DLP) software solutions with ratings, reviews, and their standout features. 

TL;DR Data loss prevention (DLP) software identifies, classifies and monitors the data in your organization’s system at all times to protect it from cyber-attacks.  All DLP software must be equipped with key features like data identification, classification, policy management, incident management and end-point detection. While choosing a DLP tool, consider the cost, evaluate your needs, run trials, get stakeholder buy-in, and train employees for a successful deployment and upkeep.

What is a DLP software?

Data loss prevention software monitors and protects sensitive information against breaches, unauthorized access, and unintended data loss. It detects viruses, malware, ransomware, or phishing risks across endpoints, premise equipment, or cloud systems. 

DLP is crucial for ensuring data integrity and availability. It also helps with risk management by securing all network devices, including desktops, mobile devices, and servers, by preventing data breaches and ensuring regulatory compliance. 

The other benefits of using a DLP solution are:

• Classifying sensitive data
• Building resilience against attacks 
• Having more control over data access
• Enhancing visibility over all data

7 Best Data Loss Prevention Tools for 2024

The best data loss prevention tools should be able to monitor data in motion, identify and classify data, provide cloud protection, and more. The platforms listed here represent a diverse range of DLP solutions, each with its own strengths and focus areas. 

Here’s a quick glance:

DLP software vendors	Best suited for	G2 rating	Pricing starts from
Coro Cybersecurity	Small businesses, and startups	4.7/5	$6/month
Cyberhaven	Mid-market businesses looking for innovative DLP	4.8/5	Not available
CrowdStrike Falcon	Businesses of all sizes for advanced threat intelligence	4.7/5	$59.99/device
Safetica	Businesses looking for budget-friendly DLP solutions	4.5/5	$4.5/month
Zscaler	Scaling organizations looking for gateway security stack	4.5/5	$72/user
Forcepoint DLP	Multinational corporations	4.4/5	$54.99/user
Digital Guardian	Fast deployment and personalized solutions	4.3/5	On quote basis

1. Coro Cybersecurity

Coro Cybersecurity is a comprehensive data loss prevention (DLP) solution that provides a unified platform for various security needs. They offer endpoint protection, email security, and cloud security with 14 enterprise-grade modules.

Coro specializes in multi-channel data protection, ensuring no sensitive information slips through the cracks. The platform is mostly popular among small businesses and mid-market companies due to its ease of use and intuitive interface. 

G2 rating: 4.7/5 

Industries:

• Automotive
• Education
• Finance
• Government
• Manufacturing
• IT & Software

Customer review:

“Coro was extremely easy to set up and manage. I am able to single-handedly manage a wide range of end user stations, servers, and email flow. We are always trying to adapt to new threats and prevent data leakage by internal sources.” (G2 review, June, 2024)

Pricing: Starts from $6 per month.

2. Cyberhaven

Cyberhaven is another data loss prevention (DLP) software vendor that specializes in protecting sensitive data from insider threats, cloud vulnerabilities, and various cyber incidents. 

The tool claims to use advanced machine learning algorithms to detect and prevent data exfiltration. Cyberhaven is keen on having top features for DLP especially useful for organizations looking for innovative solutions. 

Cyberhaven has the ability to understand the context of data usage. This is more in relation to differentiating between legitimate and malicious data handling activities while monitoring data movement and use across devices. 

Industries served by Cyberhaven:

• Technology
• Manufacturing
• Healthcare 
• Lawfirms
• Investment management

G2 rating: 4.8/5

Customer review: 

“Through their file lineage feature, we can not only track movement before an incident, but we can continue to track where that data moves after an incident. This is something we couldn’t find in other vendors. Combined with the ability to classify data sources and not just destinations. This gave us a huge head start in data classification.” (G2 review, June 2024)

Pricing: There is no pricing available for Cyberhaven. 

3. CrowdStrike Falcon 

CrowdStrike Falcon is known for its endpoint protection platform but it also offers strong data loss prevention capabilities. The integration between Crowdstrike and Falcon provides its users with a unified view of all data security threats. 

Like most DLPs in the market, CrowdStrike also leverages advanced threat intelligence to detect and prevent data loss incidents and offers comprehensive protection for sensitive information. According to an IDC study, the platform can detect 96% more threats in 50% less time. 

Industries: 

• Healthcare
• Education
• Election security
• Government
• Financial services
• Retail

G2 rating: 4.7/5

Customer review:

“CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection is the best in class product with the ease of use and implementation. The XDR detections which are detected on the endpoints provides you a visibility of all minor to major adversaries on the endpoints.” (G2 review, May, 2024)

Pricing: Starts from $59.99 per device.

4. Safetica

Safetica is a data loss prevention (DLP) along with insider risk management software. Its solution offers a combination of DLP, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and user activities analytics (UBA) capabilities. 

The platform has the ability to detect and prevent insider threats through advanced user behavior monitoring and analysis. It is an easy-to-use solution with a simplified deployment process with on-premise and cloud facilities. 

Industries:

• Automotive
• Education
• Financial Services
• Small & medium enterprises
• Government
• Insurance
• Legal
• Logistics

G2 rating: 4.5/5

Customer review:

“Safetica is our data guardian angel. It’s reliable, user-friendly, and essential for any organization serious about data security. They make sure they are with you every step of the way and that you’re comfortable with what you are doing. This makes the implementation process extremely easy.” (G2 review, July, 2024)

Pricing: Starts from $4.5/user/month

5. Zscaler 

The cloud security platform Zscaler includes DLP as one of its core functionalities. Its solution is integrated with various cloud security features along with protection for moving and stagnant data. 

Zcaler has a zero-trust approach towards data security and is best suited for scaling organizations. Along with cyber threat protection, the solution also offers business analytics and optimizes digital experiences for organizations. 

G2 rating: 4.5/5

Industries:

• Healthcare
• Banking and Financial services
• Government
• Education
• Public Sector

Customer review:

“It offers full inbound and outbound SSL inspection and can help protect the entire enterprise network from cyber threats. Users also appreciate its scalability, as the solution can be expanded or adjusted as a company’s needs change.” (G2 review, January, 2024)

Pricing: Starts from $72 per user. 

6. Forcepoint DLP 

With Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP), you can intuitively discover, classify, monitor, and protect data without disrupting user experience. The software offers real-time auditing with Risk-Adaptive Protection to stop data loss before it happens.

Forcepoint lets you implement policies and remediation workflows and manage incidents while using a risk-based approach to data security. The tool also has a pre-defined policy library along with automated features like blocking actions to prevent breaches. 

Industries: All industries

G2 rating: 4.4/5 

Customer review:

“Forcepoint has both models- On-premises and cloud. It meets all the standards of small organizations and large organizations. It provides diff services as per requirements i.e. endpoint, ZTNA, and Mail security.” (G2 review, Feb 2024)

Pricing: Starts from $54.99/user for a year

7. Digital Guardian by Fortra

Fortra’s Digital Guardian’s DLP platform offers rapid deployment as a SaaS to manage data actions, monitor storage and movement, and maintain visibility of information flow. The tool has an intuitive dashboard, automated workflows, and advanced reporting features.   

Digital Guardian works with your existing data classification modules and offers flexibility according to your organization’s requirements. The solution is powered by AWS and claims to reduce overhead costs while mitigating threats in a complex architecture. 

Industries:

• Technology
• Business services
• Healthcare
• Insurance
• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Energy
• Financial services

G2 rating: 4.3/5 

Customer review:

“I am highly impressed by Fortra’s Digital Guardian. The software surpasses expectations in safeguarding our data, offering outstanding security features that ensure the protection of our critical information.” (G2 review, Dec 2023)

Pricing: On a quote basis.

What are the must-have features of data loss prevention software?

A data loss prevention tool must be able to identify different types of data sets and classify them into well-defined categories for efficient management. It should be able to distribute policies and track incidents along with end-point detection. 

Although some of these qualities sound basic, they are must-have features in any DLP tool you may be evaluating. Let’s understand the above features comprehensively:

1. Data identification 

Identifying sensitive data requires pinpointing its location across various systems, ensuring nothing is overlooked. It does this by scanning through various data sources like databases, file systems, emails, etc. 

Identification also involves recognizing patterns that indicate that a certain type of information is sensitive. For example, credit card information, social security numbers, etc. A good DLP tool should identify both structured and unstructured data in real-time.

2. Data classification

Once data is identified, it needs to be categorized based on its sensitivity level. The first step here is to draft a data classification policy that assigns tags or labels to data such as public, restricted, confidential, and private. 

Nowadays, most DLP tools can automate this classification process using pre-defined rules while also allowing for manual classification when necessary. 

3. Policy management

The policy management feature in a data loss prevention solution enables the creation and enforcement of data handling rules. It defines policies for different types of data, user roles, and risk levels for each. 

Usually, such tools provide predefined customizable policies for setting up rules for data access, file transfer and storage. You should customize your policies to comply with industry regulations like ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, etc. 

4. Incident management

A DLP tool should be both a proactive (identifying risks) and reactive (mitigating incidents) measure for incidents. When a potential data loss event occurs or is about to occur, the tool should provide real-time alerts about policy violations and user access controls.

The software must provide you with detailed incident reports with contextual information and ways for investigating and resolving such incidents. It should analyze the incident information to identify trends and recurring issues. 

5. End-point detection

End-point detection focuses on protecting data on individual devices in your organization including all your employees, stakeholders, customers, etc. It should monitor data movement on laptops, desktops, mobile devices, corporate networks, etc. 

The DLP software must be able to control data transfer to external devices like USB drives with warnings or with supporting methods like encryption. It should also be able to remotely wipe information from lost or stolen devices. 

How to choose the best DLP software?

Evaluate your organization’s current requirements with the buy-in of stakeholders before heading out to choose a DLP software. Before onboarding, you should go through multiple options so that your investing in the tool is fruitful. 

The following is the breakdown of the five key steps to choose a DLP tool:

1. Assess your needs: While assessing your needs you need to look at the features that are must-have for your business. You should also evaluate your data volumes, users, forecasted growth for atleast the next two years or more. 

2. Engage your stakeholders: Draw in the key stakeholders of your organization’s data protection plan. Obtaining executive sponsorship and defining clear objectives and criteria is essential for success of implementing a DLP tool.

3. Compare and shortlist: Different DLP tools provide different features based on the product capabilities. Compare each option, looking at their functionality, usability, customization, integration, security, and support. Shortlist the tools fitting best to your needs.

4. Run trials if available: Not all tools provide live demos and trial periods. If they do, test the DLP tool within your context using real-world scenarios. In the process, engage key stakeholders and prospective users to garner feedback on usability and functionality.

5. Plan the deployment: All resources and timelines should be clearly laid out before the deployment. Start preparing the data migration and integration into the system. Train users and on-board them on how to maximize the tool.

Beyond data loss prevention: Getting compliant

Data loss prevention is crucial for complying with international data privacy regulations, but it’s only one piece of the compliance puzzle. To fully safeguard your organization, it’s essential to elevate your security standards with a more proactive approach, such as integrated risk management.

Risk management sits at the core of regulatory compliance. While a DLP tool helps by limiting access to personal data, protecting data transfers, classifying data, enforcing policies, and detecting breaches, relying on DLP alone falls short of comprehensive protection.

That’s why deploying a DLP tool in your security infrastructure is a strong start, but it’s not enough on its own to meet the complex demands of data privacy regulations. To truly protect your organization, you need a more robust solution.

This is where Sprinto comes in. By helping you implement—or even automate—a data privacy framework, The tool continuously monitors your security controls, ensuring that your data remains protected against vulnerabilities and threats.

Sprinto is an automation function that does not just monitor risks, controls, vulnerabilities, and incidents but also pulls evidence for the same. This makes the process of getting compliant with common industry standards even easier. Here’s a bit by Swapnil, PCI QSA, ISO Lead Auditor, at Sprinto: 

Sprinto is also equipped with an incident management system with remediation workflows that give you real-time notifications if any event is identified. You can also assess your data privacy gaps with compliance gap reports and risk reports.

Frequently asked questions

1. Who uses a data loss prevention software?

A data loss prevention software is used by individuals in the security team such as

• IT security professionals
• Legal experts
• Department heads
• Security analyst
• Compliance officers
• Data privacy officers

2. What are some alternative security tools to DLP?

Some alternative security tools of DLP include:

• Data encryption tools
• Intrusion detection systems
• Security information and event management tools (SIEM)
• Access control systems
• GRC (Governance, risk and compliance) automation tools

3. What are the three types of data loss prevention?

The three types of data loss prevention methods are:

1. Network DLP: Keeps an eye on data moving through your network, stopping unauthorized transfers via email, web, and other protocols.
2. Endpoint DLP: Protects data on devices like laptops and mobile phones, preventing actions like copying to USB drives or printing sensitive files.
3. Cloud DLP: Secures your data in cloud services, ensuring it’s protected and compliant even when stored or accessed online.

4. What are some good-to-have features of data loss prevention?

The good-to-have features of data loss prevention are: 

• User behavior analytics
• Comprehensive reporting and auditing
• Real-time alerts and incident response
• Scalability and flexibility
• Ease of use and deployment