The Advancement of DLP Solutions

The 2016 Magic Quadrant demonstrates a fundamental shift in the role that DLP solutions play in the broader data protection picture. The previous Magic Quadrant for DLP (released December 2013), entitled the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Content-Aware Data Loss Prevention, predicted that the primary drivers of DLP adoption would evolve beyond regulatory compliance to provide what Gartner calls “broader business protection.” As the 2016 version shows, this prediction was accurate; Gartner’s market definition for DLP now includes more advanced capabilities like contextual awareness and cloud data protection as standard features for data loss prevention solutions. In the 2013 report, content awareness was the norm while features like contextual awareness and cloud integration were key differentiators amongst DLP solutions.

Gartner also notes in the latest report that DLP solutions have grown more advanced in their detection capabilities, policies, and overall management features. On the detection front, leading DLP solutions have incorporated features akin to the detection methods used by endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions. Policy-making features have grown more advanced to protect data in new forms and use cases, such as in cloud file sharing and productivity apps. From a management perspective, DLP solutions are now expected to provide more consolidated visibility and control from a central management console, and there’s increased emphasis on simplified event flows and reporting.

If the latest DLP Magic Quadrant is any indication, enterprise data protection demands are driving the convergence of what used to be three separate DLP solution subcategories – endpoint DLP, network DLP, and discovery DLP – into a single, more advanced solution for enterprise data protection.

Consolidation of the DLP Market

Compared to the 2013 edition of the report, the latest version, published in 2016 and entitled the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Data Loss Prevention, covers a noticeably smaller solution set. The 2013 edition covered 13 DLP providers; the 2016 edition only covers 10. In the roughly two year span between reports, there was significant merger and acquisition activity within the market. McAfee was acquired by Intel; Websense was acquired by Raytheon and became Forcepoint; and, of course, our company rebranded from Verdasys to Digital Guardian and acquired Code Green Networks. Other vendors from 2013 were absent from the latest edition due to market exits as well – in particular EMC/RSA announced end of life for its DLP product line and didn’t appear in the latest Magic Quadrant. The 2016 version also saw departures from Absolute, CA Technologies, and Trustwave.

Despite an overall trend of consolidation, there were a few notable new entrants to the market as well. Clearswift and Somansa were new inclusions, and while Microsoft didn’t have any products listed in the Magic Quadrant, it was mentioned in the report for having an impact on the DLP market via its acquisitions of Adallom and Secure Islands last year.

Growth of DLP Managed Services

A third key trend highlighted is the growth in popularity of DLP managed service offerings. While Gartner attributes the so-called DLP “renaissance” to a variety of factors, including wide-impacting data breaches and the expansion of DLP’s role in enterprise data protection, the increasing availability of DLP solutions deployed as a managed service is most certainly a driver of the renewed interest in DLP as well. Managed services are an especially attractive offer for DLP buyers as they provide all the data protection of advanced DLP solutions without the learning curve, cumbersome deployment process, and in-house resource requirements that plagued traditional deployments in the “first wave” of DLP some 10 years ago.

According to the latest report, 13% of all DLP inquiries Gartner fielded last year involved DLP managed services. While still a small portion, this is a significant increase from the last report, which noted that the market for DLP managed services was “nascent” with “few available options.” That version also projected that managed services would account for 20% of DLP deployments by 2016, and the demand that Gartner is observing for DLP managed services combined with the increased number of service providers supports that prediction.

These are a few of our top takeaways from the report, and they only scratch the surface of Gartner’s analysis of the DLP market. If you’re looking for more in-depth coverage of Gartner’s latest Magic Quadrant for Data Loss Prevention, join us tomorrow at 1:00 PM EST for a webinar with Gartner DLP research director Brian Reed.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Source: Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Content-Aware Data Loss Prevention, Eric Ouellet, December 12, 2013.
Source: Gartner, Inc., Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Data Loss Prevention, Brian Reed and Neil Wynne, January 28, 2016.