Insider Risk Management & Data Protection

    Finally, a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for macOS

     Maximize data protection with DLP for MacOS. Find out how DLP for Mac can keep your information safe from unauthorized access.

    by Aimee Simpson

    Key Points

    • This blog was originally posted on the Code42 website, but with the acquisition of Code42 by Mimecast, we are ensuring it is also available to visitors to the Mimecast website.
    • Traditional DLP solutions fail to address macOS-specific needs, making them obsolete in a hybrid work environment.
    • Mimecast Incydr offers a modern, behavior-driven alternative that enhances security and productivity by integrating seamlessly across systems and educating employees on security best practices.

    Rethinking DLP for Hybrid Work

    With hybrid work here to stay, we find ourselves in a completely new reality, faced with newer security challenges. The global transition to digitization also means organizations are leveling up with AI, machine learning and automation, making traditional security measures struggle against their rapidly evolving tactics.

    Data portability in a hybrid world poses all kinds of visibility challenges for security teams, but none quite capture the breach headlines as much as insider threats. Companies estimate a 28% increase in the average number of monthly insider-driven data exposure, loss, leak and theft events, from 2021 to today.

    The same security teams agree that traditional Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions simply aren’t built to tackle our new work reality. One of my favorite customer quotes to capture this sentiment is, “The 90s called, they want their DLP back.” When you couple this reality with Mac’s enterprise growth, I understand the cause for panic!    

    Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions never accounted for the Mac phenomenon and were not designed with them in mind. As a result, legacy DLPs (as the market has embraced calling them) often approach Macs as an afterthought rather than a core strategy. Security is at the forefront of people’s minds as more data is captured around the threats that companies of all sizes are facing on a daily basis, but that shouldn’t ever be the reason that a company shies away from adopting Macs.

    Key features missing from DLP for Macs

    Customer opinions of their DLP for Mac continue to be unfavorable. Naturally, we continue to ask why.

    1. No Support: Mac updates can be fast and furious. Unfortunately, DLP has traditionally struggled to keep up with those updates. The result? Errors, kernel panics and increased risk of data loss.
    2. No OS Consistency: We often forget that today’s businesses often use both Mac and Windows. DLP has traditionally maintained a very Windows-centric approach that has made the Mac experience secondary and inconsistent with Windows. Having two sets of users with varying levels of data risk is never good.
    3. It’s Slow: An issue we hear all the time stems from performance-sucking agents that bring the productivity of Mac users to a screeching halt.
    4. Kernel Panics: This is worth reiterating. Macs are sensitive to anything that poses a threat, so whenever perceived unsanctioned DLP software threatens Mac, it means reboots and an increased risk of downtime.
    5. It’s Complicated: Traditional DLP still relies on legacy hardware and manual updates, which is time-consuming and expensive.
    6.  It’s not the 1990s: If you had a rulebook, wrote policies and even classified data, that approach is simply no longer applicable. Welcome to 2024! 

    A modern DLP solution for Macs

    Legacy data loss prevention is outdated and cumbersome, and 78% of companies that have a DLP experience a data breach anyway – no matter the endpoint you have. Rigid policies and traditional blocking methods are flawed approaches to data loss prevention that create more work for security and disrupt your employees. It only sees what you tell it to look for, and the noise from digital collaboration makes it even harder to detect real threats.

    How Mimecast Incydr approaches the problem differently

    Say goodbye to complex data loss prevention hassles for Macs (or Windows, Linux, or the cloud) because Mimecast has data visibility into them all. That’s because we focus on where data is going, how it’s getting there, and who’s moving it – without relying on ​’allow and deny’ policies, heavy content inspection, or classifications.

    And instead of old-school DLP solutions that stick to block-first playbooks, Mimecast Incydr™ empowers security to craft responses that fit the unique contours of each data incident. Whether it’s an innocent oversight or a calculated threat, Incydr allows you to respond with pinpoint accuracy.

    Incydr doesn’t just amp up your security game; it’s a productivity booster too. While clunky DLPs slow things down and create more hassle, Incydr is lightweight and seamlessly integrates into your cross-functional systems – from messaging to HCM to ITSM. And with integrated security education, you can automatically educate employees on low-risk mistakes to make everyone a security ally. This means your workforce can operate at peak efficiency without compromising on security.

    Learn why Incydr offers a better solution than outdated traditional DLP.

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