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Proofpoint Named an Overall Leader in the 2023 KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Data Leakage Prevention

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Data leakage or loss prevention solutions are more relevant than ever. Research for the 2024 Data Loss Landscape Report from Proofpoint found that 85% of companies experienced one or more data loss incidents in the past year.  

The risk of data loss is increasing as more businesses embrace digital transformation, remote work, cloud computing and generative AI tools. Meanwhile, the number of data protection regulations continues to grow. 

At Proofpoint, we understand what it takes for companies to defend their data against these risks and navigate compliance challenges. And we are proud to announce that our Proofpoint Information Protection solution has been recognized by KuppingerCole Analysts AG, a major industry analyst firm.  

Here are just some of the reasons why Proofpoint stands out. 

Proofpoint receives top marks across all categories 

In the firm’s report, KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Data Leakage Prevention, Proofpoint Information Protection received “strong positive” or “positive” ratings in all categories, including: 

  • Security 
  • Functionality 
  • Deployment 
  • Interoperability 
  • Usability 

Here is what analysts said about Proofpoint Information Protection—and what makes it stand apart from the competition. 

“Proofpoint Information Protection is a mature and comprehensive DLP solution based on a cloud-native platform that focuses on user identity and how that identity interacts with sensitive data to guard against insider threats and prevent data loss across email, on-prem, and cloud-based applications as well as providing support for compliance with data protection regulations.”  

KuppingerCole positioned Proofpoint as a leader in all evaluation categories as well, which include product, technology, innovation and market. The report also highlighted several key findings and trends. 

  • Demand is rising for DLP solutions, including from small businesses as they face much of the same cyberthreats and compliance requirements that larger enterprises face 
  • Differentiators for DLP solutions include coverage across various data channels, ease of use, insider threat protection and incident support 
  • Innovation in the DLP space is focused on cloud DLP, user experience enhancement, and the use of AI and machine learning (ML) technologies 
  • While DLP solutions are traditionally on-premises, new cloud-based offerings allow for faster updates and scalability as well as managed services that cater to businesses that lack in-house security expertise 
  • Effective DLP solutions should support policy management, integration with existing security systems and compliance with data protection regulations; other capabilities include mobile workforce security, cloud data security and AI-driven anomaly detection 
  • The DLP market is expected to increase the use of AI and ML for data classification  

What makes Proofpoint stand out  

Here is a closer look at how we can help you to defend your data and modernize your DLP program.    

Identify sensitive data with accuracy and ensure compliance  

Our prebuilt DLP policies let you jumpstart your DLP program. It doesn’t matter if you are a large enterprise or a small business. By combining our out-of-box data identifiers, Proofpoint-maintained dictionaries and AI-based classifiers, you can accurately detect sensitive content, including:  

  • Personally identifiable information (PII) 
  • Protected health information (PHI) and payment card industry (PCI) data 
  • Source code and other business critical documents 

You can enforce flexible data controls across email, cloud and endpoints, including managed and bring-your-own devices. This ensures you can easily meet compliance requirements. It also helps you prevent careless users from leaking sensitive content to generative AI sites. 

Defend data against careless and malicious insiders 

Proofpoint takes a human-centric approach to information protection. We bring together DLP and Insider Threat Management (ITM) to provide deep visibility into user behavior, delivering insights into user intent. In addition to data exfiltration, we monitor for risky behaviors such as: 

  • Changing file names and extensions 
  • Installing data backup and hacking tools 
  • Removing data controls 

Plus, our ML-based anomaly detection in the cloud looks for data exfiltration by departing employees.  

These capabilities help security analysts to know the difference between careless and malicious users. That insight, in turn, allows them to respond faster and more effectively to data loss and insider threat risks that could have the greatest impact on the business. 

Streamline DLP operations and accelerate incident resolution 

Proofpoint Information Protection employs a unified console to streamline: 

  • Alert triage cross-channel for cloud, endpoint and optionally email (with Proofpoint Email DLP) 
  • Investigations 
  • Response 

You can gain greater context and understanding of risk with our cross-channel analytics. Proofpoint includes user and file timelines that show alerts and activities before, during and after an incident. These timelines help analysts to understand whether a user might be careless, compromised or malicious. 

Your analysts can also save time with explorations, enabling instant visibility into changing patterns of risky behavior. This ensures your business can take a more proactive approach to DLP. 

Quick deployment, painless operation and modern privacy controls 

Proofpoint Information Protection is a cloud-native solution that you can deploy quickly. It scales automatically and is easy to maintain—saving your business valuable time. Our modern privacy controls help you to protect sensitive data and user identifying information in the console.  

Our lightweight, user-mode endpoint agent is highly stable and will not impact your users’ productivity. Our solution is also flexible. It integrates into your security ecosystem, including with tools from Microsoft, Okta, Splunk and ServiceNow. That means you can make the most of your existing workflows and investments. 

Optimize your program with DLP expertise 

Proofpoint Managed Services can help you start or transform your DLP program. Our team of experts can get you up and running fast and provide ongoing management, too. When you work with us, you can maximize the success of your DLP program, learn how to proactively stop threats and take better advantage of our executive insights. 

Get the Leadership Compass report  

Want additional insight into why Proofpoint Information Protection stands apart from other DLP solutions? You can download a free copy of the report, 2023 KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Data Leakage Prevention, to find out more.