In today’s evolving cybersecurity landscape, large financial institutions are under pressure to keep sensitive data safe and prevent potential email data breaches.
One type of data loss incident that’s difficult to stop is misdirected emails. Not only do these emails put sensitive data at risk, but they also require companies to use valuable resources to remediate. Legitimate messages sent to incorrect recipients happen all the time. And they’re difficult to stop because standard rule-based data loss prevention (DLP) tools don’t typically flag them.
For one of Africa’s largest financial services groups, this type of data loss incident had become a recurring challenge. In this blog post, we share insights from the bank about why it chose to take an adaptive, human-centric approach to data loss with Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP.
The problem: Gaps in existing email data security
There were several problems with the bank’s approach to email security. But the most pressing issue was its risk of misdirected emails and misattached files. While the bank had implemented rule-based DLP software to monitor outgoing messages, these tools were not enough.
‘Before Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP, we didn’t have clear visibility into all types of data loss incidents in email or the true size of the problem,’ said the senior manager of information security at the bank. ‘We believed it was happening, but we didn’t have a solution or strategy in place to help us proactively combat it.’
The situation was exacerbated by regulations. The bank needed to comply with POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act), which is South Africa’s version of the GDPR. As regulatory scrutiny increased, the bank realised it needed to urgently modernise its DLP strategy. It needed to better protect its known sensitive data as well as prevent unknown risks, like misdirected emails and misattached files.
The solution: Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP
The information security team had a clear vision of what was needed: a system that automatically detected and prevented data loss in real time with minimal maintenance and disruption. After evaluating their options, they selected Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP.
Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP uses cutting-edge behavioural AI and machine learning to analyse and learn from more than 12 months of a company’s email data. As a result, it can understand normal employee email behaviours. This includes who employees regularly communicate with and how they handle sensitive data. The system then continuously monitors email traffic and flags potential incidents, such as misdirected emails, misattached files or unauthorised data exfiltration.
Traditional email DLP systems rely on static rules. Compare that to Proofpoint. Our solution adapts to evolving communication patterns. So, if a user sends an email that contains sensitive data to an unusual recipient, or they attach a file they wouldn’t typically share, the system identifies this anomaly and triggers a real-time warning for both the employee and the security team. The tool works silently in the background without impeding productivity.
The seamless deployment
One of the standout features of Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP was its seamless integration into the bank’s existing infrastructure. The solution deployed in minutes and began providing protection within hours. There was no need for extensive setup, no servers to build or rules to update. As a result, the system has been incredibly low maintenance, requiring little attention from the bank’s security team.
‘Adaptive Email DLP was very easy to deploy and has been incredibly low maintenance,’ said the bank’s data loss prevention manager. ‘It’s not a tool we have to worry about keeping up and running from an infrastructure perspective. It’s one less thing the security team has to be concerned about. That was and continues to be a huge selling point for us.’
This ease of implementation allowed the security team to focus on other critical areas of their operations without the constant worry of managing another complex security tool.
The results: Reduced risk of email data loss and better compliance
In the first two years, Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP helped to prevent more than 6,400 data loss events. This included 4,027 accidental leaks and 2,427 emails to unauthorised accounts. ‘Adaptive Email DLP does more than just detect and prevent email data loss incidents,’ said the data loss prevention manager. ‘We view it as a user awareness tool as well. Employees engage with the warnings and, month-on-month, we see how their behaviour can change. As a result, non-compliant activity has steadily decreased.’
The solution has not only protected sensitive data, it has also fostered a culture of security awareness within the company. Employees have become increasingly more aware of the risks that come with mishandling email data. Over time, this has led to fewer data loss incidents.
Proofpoint has also had a real impact on the bank’s bottom line, too. Its information security team was even awarded an internal innovation award for their successful use of Adaptive Email DLP. This highlights our solution’s broader operational benefits.
‘Before we even had our POV (proof of value), we were able to prove that Adaptive Email DLP would help us improve internal process emails, help with risk management and compliance and potentially increase revenue,’ said the senior manager of information security.
Looking ahead: A smarter, more secure future
The bank’s partnership with Proofpoint is far from over. The Adaptive Email DLP tool continues to evolve, becoming smarter with every passing day. As it learns from changing email behaviours and relationships, the solution adapts to new risks without requiring the security team to manually intervene. This ensures the bank remains one step ahead of potential data loss threats.
Any business that handles sensitive data, especially within the highly regulated financial sector, needs an advanced tool like Proofpoint Adaptive Email DLP. This isn’t just an option, it’s a necessity. Our next-generation DLP solution prevents data loss in real time. What’s more it provides ongoing user education and seamlessly integrates into existing security stacks. Proofpoint helps you protect your data, reduce your risk and maintain compliance. It helps you avoid the headaches that come with traditional DLP systems.
To learn more, read the solution brief or request a demo.