Data leaks are a popular attack vector for cybercriminals. They’re considered a shortcut to accessing valuable sensitive data without needing to carry out sophisticated cyber attacks.
Once an attacker discovers a data leak, they can exploit it immediately. Organizations must be vigilant against internal and third-party data leaks. Otherwise, they risk leaving an instant pathway to costly data breaches exposed.
Data leak detection software allows organizations to prevent data breaches and other serious security incidents. With many solutions offering this functionality, you may need help choosing the best solution for your organization’s needs.
This guide outlines the main considerations of effective data leak detection software and the best solutions currently on the market.
Already know what data leak detection software is? Skip ahead to our list of the top 9 data leak detection solutions.
What is Data Leak Detection Software?
Data leak detection software identifies an organization's data leaks – the accidental public exposure of sensitive data due to misconfigurations and poor network security. Data leaks quickly become data breaches when cybercriminals identify and exploit this exposed data.
Learn more about data leaks and data leak detection software >
Who Uses Data Leak Protection Software?
Any organization that deals with sensitive data should monitor for data leaks. Data security standards are mandated by privacy and protection laws, such as the GDPR, CCPA, and SHIELD Act. Organizations that suffer data breaches face non-compliance with these legal requirements. Harsh financial penalties and reputational damage follow shortly after.
Small businesses and large multinational organizations from all industries can benefit from data leak detection software. Fast remediation is essential in industries with large amounts of confidential data. These types of data could include personally identifiable information (PII), trade secrets, intellectual property, or other confidential information.
For example:
- The healthcare sector manages protected health information (PHI). This data is highly valued on the dark web, with cybercriminals purchasing it to commit identity theft and insurance fraud.
Read about recent data breaches in the healthcare industry >
- Financial institutions must protect sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and bank account details. Financial data is also very profitable in cybercrime. Cybercriminals can exploit it instantly for theft.
Read about recent data breaches in the financial industry >
- Government bodies hold in-depth PII on citizens, protected records, and other highly classified information. Threat actors with political motivations, such as ransomware gangs, are likely to target government organizations in cyber attacks.
Read about the largest government data breach in US history >
Important Features of Data Leak Protection Tools
Third-Party Data Leak Detection
Cybercriminals in the current threat landscape are taking advantage of third-party vulnerabilities to reach target systems. A recent global study found that 82% of surveyed CIOs believe their software supply chains are vulnerable to cyber attacks. Proactively identifying vulnerabilities in the supply chain is the key to preventing third-party data breaches.
Organizations should opt for a solution capable of detecting third-party data leaks to minimize the risk of this common cause of data breaches.
Variety of Data Leak Sources
Data leakage can occur anywhere across the all-encompassing span of the Internet. Comprehensive data leak detection solutions leverage open source intelligence (OSINT) and threat intelligence techniques to identify leaked information across the surface, deep, and dark web.
Common data leak sources include:
- Online file stores
- Databases,
- Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)
- Document sharing sites
- Paste sites
- Online code repositories, such as GitHub, Bitbucket, and GitLab
Expert Support
Fully-automated data leak solutions often discover many false positives that security teams must take the time to sift through. Organizations may consider implementing a fully-managed solution that can help streamline internal and third-party data leak remediation workflows with the support of dedicated cybersecurity analysts.
Complete Attack Surface Visibility
Early data leak detection helps organizations avoid serious data breaches, but preventing data leaks altogether is a much more effective strategy. A complete attack surface management tool can identify internal and third-party cyber threats that lead to data leaks and breaches.
Pairing data leak detection with complete attack surface management provides the most comprehensive coverage of data leaks across your entire ecosystem.
Top 9 Data Leak Detection Solutions
1. UpGuard
Key Features
- Fully-managed data leak detection
- Complete internal and third-party attack surface monitoring
- Streamlined remediation workflows
Why UpGuard for Data Leak Detection?
UpGuard offers complete data leak prevention and detection capabilities through specialized data leak detection techniques and continuous attack surface monitoring.
UpGuard BreachSight
- Continuous attack surface monitoring
- Finds leaked employee credentials exposed to the public Internet
- Identifies software vulnerabilities that could facilitate data leaks
UpGuard VendorRisk
- Continuous third-party attack surface monitoring
- Identifies software vulnerabilities that could facilitate third-party data leaks
Watch the video below for an overview of UpGuard's data leak detection features.
Who Uses UpGuard as a Data Leak Solution?
UpGuard helps healthcare, financial services, technology, and other industries prevent data breaches, data leaks, and third-party vendor security incidents. To learn more about UpGuard's success in the field of sensitive data protection, read UpGuard's customer testimonials and case studies.
Using proprietary security ratings, world-class data leak detection capabilities, and powerful remediation workflows, UpGuard proactively identifies security exposures for companies of all sizes.
See UpGuard in action with this self-guided product tour >
2. BitSight
Key Features
- Security ratings
- Attack surface analytics
- Continuous third-party monitoring
Why BitSight for Data Leak Detection?
BitSight allows organizations to detect internal and third-party data leaks by monitoring the dark web and identifying exposed credentials.
- Dark web monitoring feature allows users to search for key terms and identify suspicious activity, mentioning both their organization and third parties’ names.
- Exposed credentials feature indicates if employees of a company had their information disclosed as a result of a publicly disclosed data breach.
Who Uses BitSight as a Data Leak Solution?
BitSight partners with 2,400+ customers companies worldwide.
3. Panorays
Key Features
- Third-party security ratings
- Cyber risk monitoring
- Dark web insights
Why Panorays for Data Leak Detection?
Panorays offers real-time insights about dark web activity and leaked employee credentials for vendors.
- Identifies third-party employees’ leaked credentials
- The Dark Web Insights feature checks for mentions of third-party vendors’ names on hacker forums and other suspicious marketplaces.
Who Uses Panorays as a Data Leak Solution?
Panorays partners with resellers, MSSPs, and technology to provide an automated third-party security platform that manages the inherent amd residual risk, remediation, and ongoing monitoring.
4. SecurityScorecard
Key Features
- Third-party security ratings
- Cyber risk intelligence
- Hacker chatter monitoring
Why SecurityScoreCard for Data Leak Detection?
SecurityScorecard’s cyber risk scores take into account potential internal and third-party data leaks by monitoring for hacker chatter and leaked credentials.
- The Information Leak scoring module uses dark web monitoring and hacker chatter monitoring to identify compromised credentials being circulated by hackers.
Who Uses SecurityScorecard as a Data Leak Solution?
Organizations use SecurityScorecard’s rating technology for self-monitoring, third-party risk management, board reporting, and cyber insurance underwriting.
5. CyberGRX
Key Features
- Continuous monitoring of inherent risk
- Risk scoring
- Real-time threat intelligence
Why CyberGRX for Data Leak Detection?
CyberGRX doesn’t currently have a native data leak detection solution. It relies on Recorded Future integration for third-party risk monitoring and alerting.
- The Recorded Future Integration triggers notifications when third parties have a high volume of exposed credentials or recent single-document email address exposure.
Who Uses CyberGRX as a Data Leak Solution?
CyberGRX provides security professionals, risk managers, and procurement managers with ongoing analysis of their vendor portfolio.
6. OneTrust Vendorpedia
Key Features
- Third-party risk exchange
- Privacy, security and data governance platform
- Insights on vendors’ security controls, policies, and practices
Why OneTrust Vendorpedia for Data Leak Detection?
OneTrust Vendorpedia doesn’t currently have a native data leak detection solution. It relies on integration with Recorded Future for third-party risk monitoring and alerting.
- Recorded Future’s Third-Party Intelligence module integration allows OneTrust Vendorpedia customers to identify their vendors’ leaked credentials and dark web attention.
Who Uses OneTrust Vendorpedia as a Data Leak Solution?
OneTrust Vendorpedia facilitates a community of shared vendor risk assessments from participating vendors for small and medium business and large enterprises.
7. Recorded Future
Key Features
- Threat intelligence platform
- Delivers intelligence insights across six risk categories: brand, threat, third-party, SecOps, vulnerability, and geopolitical
- Leaked credential and data library
Why Recorded Future for Data Leak Detection?
Recorded Future discovers internal and third-party data leaks by monitoring for dark web mentions and leaked credentials.
- Recorded Future’s Brand Intelligence module automatically identifies and alerts organizations about leaked credentials found on paste sites, GitHub, and the dark web. The Third-Party Intelligence module allows customers to identify their vendors’ leaked credentials and dark web attention.
Who Uses Recorded Future as a Data Leak Solution?
Recorded Future provides machine-learning and human-based threat intelligence to its global customer base.
8. Digital Shadows
Key Features
- Dark web monitoring
- Data leakage detection
- Threat intelligence
Why Digital Shadows for Data Leak Detection?
Digital Shadows provides visibility over exposed credentials, proprietary code, intellectual property, financial information, customer and employee PII, and financial data online.
- Digital Shadows’ SearchLight™ continuously monitors for data leaks across sources, including domains, online file stores, public code repositories, criminal forums, closed sources, marketplaces, messaging channels, and paste sites.
Who Uses Digital Shadows as a Data Leak Solution?
Digital Shadows provides security teams threat intelligence with focused digital risk insights.
9. CybelAngel
Key Features
- Asset discovery and monitoring
- Data leak detection
- Analyst support
Why CybelAngel for Data Leak Detection?
CybelAngel detects data leaks using a proprietary combination of machine learning and cyber analysis.
- CybelAngel’s Data Breach Prevention locates, identifies, and removes data leaks with machine learning.
Who Uses CybelAngel as a Data Leak Solution?
CybelAngel provides its global enterprise clients with digital risk protection solutions.
