Two key current trends that show no sign of abating are data growth and data theft. As more valuable data is collected, pruned and stored for longer periods of time, it becomes vulnerable to data thieves. Within the enterprise, there are new challenges: an ever-changing workforce with different skills and attitudes toward security and convenience, and huge volumes of data with diverse data protection needs.

The landscape is changing for the enterprise. Regulation is forcing classification of data, whether through data breach notifications for all companies, or through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) in more risky verticals. Vendors are more frequently required to obtain security certifications in order to secure new business. The rise of the tablet and smartphone, and of laptop mobility, ensures that sensitive data is available globally at any time. With the growth of the cybercrime economy, this data has real value and can be sold for fiat currency worldwide. Criminals, hacktivists, and government- sponsored entities are carrying out increasingly more skilled attacks.

With threat actors at work both inside and outside their firewalls, enterprises face challenges on how best to safeguard confidential data. Organizations must understand how to control sensitive data and how to prevent this data from being leaked or compromised. Data loss prevention (DLP) and digital rights management (DRM) are two key technologies to leverage.