Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a cybersecurity strategy and set of technologies designed to detect, monitor, and prevent unauthorized access, use, or transmission of sensitive data across endpoints, networks, and cloud environments. Modern DLP solutions combine content inspection, contextual analysis, policy enforcement, and behavioral analytics to protect data in three critical states: at rest (stored), in motion (transmitted), and in use (actively accessed). By automatically classifying information based on regulatory templates or custom rules, DLP ensures organizations maintain compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS while preventing accidental leaks and malicious exfiltration. Understanding the interplay between detection accuracy, user experience, and enforcement granularity is essential—overly aggressive policies trigger alert fatigue and circumvention, while weak controls leave critical gaps in your security posture.