DLP and Encryption

DLP is easily bypassed if someone knows your running DLP. Changing a document from a normal font to windings for instance bypasses all DLP products I tested. Saving documents to the draft folder of your email client can also be a bypass. DLP's use case is to "catch stupid" or laziness. I'm not familiar with regulations or laws that require you to run DLP, esp since they are in their infancy. Symantec does have DLP, many organizations use it, again it does not catch insiders, it catches people emailing data they shouldn't, it catches people sharing documents or ftp'ing them when they shouldn't. A zip file and a password can get past any DLP.
Read this article about encryption to better understand that subject: https://www.experts-exchange.com/Security/Encryption/A_12134-Choosing-the-right-encryption-for-your-needs.html
Can you list the mandate or law you are trying to comply with?
-rich

DLPs can also be setup this way: only tagged documents may leave the company network. The tagging would have to be done by authorized persons of course. So you would have a piece of hardware between your company and the internet gateway that does content inspection - what is not tagged, may not get out.
Years ago, I saw a presentation about this, it was the product mimesweeper, if I remember correctly.

We've implemented McAfee DLP (regulator requirement). Here are a bunch of demo videos and other info:

http://www.mcafee.com/us/products/total-protection-for-data-loss-prevention.aspx#vt=vtab-DemosTutorials

There are others as well like Symantec, RSA, etc.

But really DLP is really best effort and easily bypassed (password protected/encrypted files for example). Unless you block them going out which comes with its own problems like admin overhead... You need to look at SSL interception to pick up data transfers going back and forth, you can be selective like targeting known cloud storage sites or cloud storage classified sites if you have a next gen firewall.

Even after you end up spending all this money, with the prevalence of personal smart phones that have great cameras (not to mention CHEAP high resolution spy cameras) you could have a staff member sit there and video or take photos of documents. To this end for some of our sites we basically ban any equipment coming or going. They walk in for a check with their clothes on and they leave with just their clothes on.

In the end though, if a trusted insider REALLY wants your data...they're going to get it if they have the access. Your best best is detection of abnormal behaviour or unexpected or unauthorised data access. Consider DLP as an OK first line of defence and don't tell your staff you have it to avoid people going to far to bypass it :)

Thanks for the replies! I understand that DLP can easily be bypassed.
Many of my clients are trying to achieve all these standards for ALTA Best Practices (Title companies) and this requires DLP & encryption.
So any more suggestions on ways to achieve this would be appreciated instead of all the ways I can tell a client why it's stupid :)

Why did you already close the question - was it answered? Did I even touch the second topic "encryption"?

i think we might go with native bitlocker for encryption. do you have any suggestions for encryption?

We use GTB Technologies DLP - excellent solution with complete channel coverage (not just TCP traffic), detection accuracy is great plus you get content visibility to SSL transmissions. (haven't seen that with the others.)  We just upgraded to their full on premise, off premise (network scanning included) agent solution.
Worth checking out

What is important for you concerning the capabilities of an encryption software?