DLP techniques

DLP techniques

The security of sensitive data is a top priority for organizations. A range of techniques and tools are used to maintain the confidentiality and accessibility of data.

The following table describes some of the industry standard techniques that are used for data loss protection, and if they can be configured in the GUI or CLI.

Technique	Description	GUI	CLI
Indexed Document Matching (IDM)	IDM creates unique fingerprints for your organization’s crucial documents that hold sensitive information. This process involves analyzing the content of these documents and generating a checksum for each one. See DLP fingerprinting for more information.		✓
Exact Data Matching (EDM)	EDM identifies particular data values within an indexed data source that require safeguarding. See Built-in DLP data types and EDM.		✓
Described Content Matching (DCM)	DCM scans through data to identify the presence of specific patterns using regular expressions (Regex). See Built-in DLP data type for more information.	✓	✓
Optical Character Recognition (OCR)	OCR scans and analyzes the content embedded within images for sensitive information, extending data protection to image‑based content.
Predefined data patterns	Default DLP patterns that classify private and confidential data that should be regulated in accordance with regulatory compliance requirements. See Built-in DLP data type for more information.	✓	✓
Custom data classification tags (data pattern)	FortiGate allows you to create patterns for your custom data type. See Custom DLP data type for more information.	✓	✓
True file type filtering	Identify a file by the data type in its meta data. See DLP file pattern for more information.	✓	✓
File size filtering	Identify a file based on its size. See Block HTTPS downloads of EXE files and log HTTPS downloads of files larger than 500 KB for an example.		✓
Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels	Sensitivity labels provide a mechanism to categorize and safeguard your data. They function as identifiers and highlight the significance of the data that they are attached to. See Sensitivity labels for more information.	✓	✓
FortiGuard DLP service	A database of predefined DLP patterns, such as data types, dictionaries, and sensors, that are dynamically managed by FortiGuard. A valid DLP license is required. See FortiGuard DLP service for more information.	✓	✓

DLP techniques

The security of sensitive data is a top priority for organizations. A range of techniques and tools are used to maintain the confidentiality and accessibility of data.

The following table describes some of the industry standard techniques that are used for data loss protection, and if they can be configured in the GUI or CLI.

Technique

Description

GUI

CLI

Indexed Document Matching (IDM)

IDM creates unique fingerprints for your organization’s crucial documents that hold sensitive information. This process involves analyzing the content of these documents and generating a checksum for each one.

See DLP fingerprinting for more information.

✓

Exact Data Matching (EDM)

EDM identifies particular data values within an indexed data source that require safeguarding.

See Built-in DLP data types and EDM.

✓

Described Content Matching (DCM)

DCM scans through data to identify the presence of specific patterns using regular expressions (Regex).

See Built-in DLP data type for more information.

✓

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR scans and analyzes the content embedded within images for sensitive information, extending data protection to image‑based content.

Predefined data patterns

Default DLP patterns that classify private and confidential data that should be regulated in accordance with regulatory compliance requirements.

See Built-in DLP data type for more information.

✓

Custom data classification tags (data pattern)

FortiGate allows you to create patterns for your custom data type.

See Custom DLP data type for more information.

✓

True file type filtering

Identify a file by the data type in its meta data.

See DLP file pattern for more information.

✓

File size filtering

Identify a file based on its size.

See Block HTTPS downloads of EXE files and log HTTPS downloads of files larger than 500 KB for an example.

✓

Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels

Sensitivity labels provide a mechanism to categorize and safeguard your data. They function as identifiers and highlight the significance of the data that they are attached to.

See Sensitivity labels for more information.

✓

FortiGuard DLP service

A database of predefined DLP patterns, such as data types, dictionaries, and sensors, that are dynamically managed by FortiGuard. A valid DLP license is required.

See FortiGuard DLP service for more information.

✓

Administration Guide

DLP techniques

DLP techniques