BY SPIRION
April 21, 2025
When it comes to data security and compliance, many organizations rely on Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solutions to safeguard sensitive information. But here’s the problem—DLP alone isn’t enough to meet regulatory requirements. While DLP is useful for blocking or monitoring data movement, it doesn’t provide the foundation of compliance: knowing where your sensitive data is, classifying it properly, and protecting it at rest.
That’s where Spirion’s automated data discovery and classification comes in. Let’s explore why compliance goes beyond DLP and how Spirion helps you meet regulatory requirements more effectively.
Compliance Requirements: Where DLP Falls Short
The following table breaks down the key regulatory frameworks, their requirements, how Spirion helps meet them, and why DLP alone isn’t enough:
| Compliance Framework | Requirement | Spirion’s Role | DLP’s Limitations |
| GDPR (EU) | Identify, classify, and protect personal data | Automated data discovery, classification, and protection | Only blocks data movement; does not classify or discover data |
| CCPA (California) | Ensure consumer data privacy and right to be forgotten | Persistent classification and remediation for consumer data | Reactive control; does not manage stored consumer data |
| HIPAA (Healthcare) | Protect patient health information (PHI) | Ensures PHI discovery, classification, and access control | Cannot identify PHI unless properly labeled beforehand |
| PCI-DSS (Payment Cards) | Secure cardholder data (CHD) from unauthorized access | Finds, classifies, and protects CHD across systems | Does not locate or classify CHD, only prevents data movement |
| FERPA (Education) | Protect student education records | Identifies and classifies student records for compliance | Cannot detect or classify student records proactively |
| NIST (Cybersecurity) | Implement data security and classification controls | Automates security framework alignment through classification | Does not provide context-aware classification |
| CMMC (DoD Contractors) | Classify and restrict sensitive defense-related data | Supports CMMC controls with accurate data classification | Fails to accurately enforce classification without discovery |
Why Data Discovery & Classification Matter for Compliance
Most compliance frameworks, including GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS, require organizations to know where their sensitive data resides before applying security controls. Without proper data discovery and classification, companies risk non-compliance, regulatory fines, and security breaches.
Here’s why DLP alone won’t meet compliance requirements:
- DLP Doesn’t Find Data at Rest – Regulations demand you secure stored sensitive data, but DLP only works when data is in motion. If you don’t know where your data is, how can you protect it?
- False Positives & False Negatives – DLP often generates alerts for non-sensitive data while missing actual risks due to lack of contextual classification.
- Compliance Isn’t Just About Blocking Data – Most regulations require data mapping, proper labeling, and reporting capabilities—which DLP simply doesn’t provide.
How Spirion Bridges the Compliance Gap
- Automated Data Discovery – Spirion scans and identifies all sensitive data across cloud, on-prem, and endpoints with 98.5% accuracy.
- Context-Rich Classification – Unlike DLP, Spirion applies persistent classification labels to ensure data is accurately categorized for security and compliance.
- Seamless Remediation – Spirion enables organizations to quarantine, redact, encrypt, or restrict access to sensitive data based on policies.
- Audit-Ready Compliance Reporting – Spirion’s executive dashboards provide a clear risk assessment of sensitive data exposure, aligning with compliance requirements.
Don’t Let DLP Give You a False Sense of Security
If your compliance strategy relies only on DLP, you’re missing a critical piece of the puzzle. DLP plays a role in preventing data leaks, but it can’t discover, classify, or protect data at rest—leaving major compliance gaps.
With Spirion’s data discovery, classification, and remediation, organizations can confidently meet GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and more while strengthening their overall security posture.
Ready to see how Spirion enhances compliance beyond DLP? Request a Demo Today
