Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policy is to define the controls, processes, and responsibilities designed to prevent the unauthorized access, disclosure, exfiltration, or loss of customer and company data processed by the platform. This policy demonstrates the organization’s commitment to protecting sensitive information and meeting enterprise customer security expectations.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All production, staging, and development environments
• All employees, contractors, and temporary staff
• All systems that store, process, or transmit customer or company data
• All endpoints used to access company systems

Systems in scope include, but are not limited to:

• Application services and APIs
• Databases and data warehouses
• Logging and monitoring systems
• Customer support and ticketing tools
• Analytics and reporting systems

3. Data Classification

All data is classified according to the following model:

3.1 Public

• Marketing materials
• Public documentation

Controls:

• No restrictions on external sharing

3.2 Internal

• Internal documentation
• Non-sensitive operational metrics

Controls:

• Access limited to authorized employees
• Stored only in approved systems

3.3 Confidential

• Customer configuration data
• Usage logs associated with customer accounts
• Business-sensitive internal data

Controls:

• Encryption at rest and in transit
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Audit logging of access

3.4 Restricted

• Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
• Authentication credentials and secrets
• Any regulated data (e.g., PHI, if applicable)

Controls:

• Strong encryption at rest and in transit
• Strict least-privilege access
• Enhanced monitoring and alerting
• Prohibited from local storage on employee devices

4. Data Flow and Trust Boundaries

Customer data enters the platform via authenticated user interfaces, APIs, and approved integrations. Data is processed within cloud-hosted environments and may be transmitted to approved subprocessors for specific business functions.

Trust boundaries exist between:

• Customer environments and the platform
• Internal services within the platform
• The platform and third-party subprocessors

DLP controls are enforced at application, database, and infrastructure layers.

5. Preventive Controls

5.1 Access Control

• Role-based access control is enforced across all systems
• Access is granted based on least privilege
• Multi-factor authentication is required for all employee access
• Production access is restricted and time-bound

5.2 Data Protection

• All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher
• All data at rest is encrypted using industry-standard encryption
• Secrets are managed using approved secrets management tools
• Sensitive fields may be masked or tokenized where appropriate

5.3 Endpoint and Developer Controls

• Only company-managed devices may access production systems
• Full-disk encryption is required on all endpoints
• Production data may not be stored locally
• Secure coding practices are enforced to prevent data leakage

5.4 Application-Level Controls

• Controls exist to prevent unauthorized bulk exports
• Rate limits are enforced on sensitive API endpoints
• Audit logs are generated for sensitive actions

6. Monitoring and Detection

The organization maintains continuous monitoring of systems to detect potential data loss events.

Monitored signals include:

• Authentication and authorization events
• Data access and export activity
• Administrative actions

Logs are retained for a minimum of twelve (12) months and reviewed regularly. Alerts are generated for anomalous or suspicious activity.

7. Incident Response

A data loss incident is defined as any confirmed or suspected unauthorized disclosure, access, or exfiltration of data.

In the event of an incident:

1. The incident is triaged and contained
2. Impacted systems and data are identified
3. Customers are notified in accordance with contractual and regulatory requirements
4. Root cause analysis and remediation actions are completed

Incident response activities are documented and reviewed.

8. Third-Party and Subprocessor Controls

All third-party service providers with access to Confidential or Restricted data are:

• Assessed for security risk prior to onboarding
• Bound by contractual data protection obligations
• Limited to the minimum data necessary

A list of approved subprocessors is maintained and reviewed periodically.

9. Training and Awareness

All employees receive security awareness training upon hire and annually thereafter. Employees with access to sensitive data receive additional role-specific training.

10. Governance and Review

This policy is owned by the Security function and is reviewed at least annually or upon material changes to systems or risk profile.

Exceptions to this policy must be documented and approved by security leadership.