Freeware Solution for Preventing Data Leakage by Insider for Windows Framework

Abstract

Every organisation has some crucial data that holds the reason for its competitive advantage over others. This data includes intellectual property, trade secrets, salary details etc. Non-ethical disclosure of such data can have fatal impacts. Recent incidents of data leaks cannot be overlooked, therefore every organisation should preferably use Data Loss Prevention(DLP) system to avoid the risk of data leakage. The aim of this work is to develop a freeware DLP that will help small and medium scale organizations to protect their covert data. There are numerous channels of data exfiltration such as Bluetooth, E-mail, Universal Serial Bus(USB) etc. The USB channel being portable and fast to use, it is favoured for data transfer. This DLP system is developed to work on windows framework. It targets to block transfer of confidential files through a USB port, according to the policies set by an administrator. This solution uses emerging technologies and integrates kernel space modules and machine learning approach to deliver a novel solution. It intercepts file transfer actions through a USB port and checks the contents of the file. In case, contents of the file are found to be confidential, the copy action will be blocked. This solution is implemented in a way that makes it effective and simplistic to use. It will definitely help the organizations to protect their data. There is a plethora of research going on in this area to secure sensitive information from being leaked. Incorporating Machine learning to accurately detect leaks is a new challenge in this field.