Detect sensitive data in an image file with DLP

Products

• Data Loss Prevention Endpoint Prevent
• Data Loss Prevention Network Monitor
• Data Loss Prevention Network Prevent for Email
• Data Loss Prevention Network Protect
• Data Loss Prevention Endpoint Discover
• Data Loss Prevention
• Data Loss Prevention Cloud Detection Service

Issue/Introduction

Can Data Loss Prevention (DLP) detect sensitive data in an image file?

For example, a user sends an email with a picture of a Driver's License, SSN card, or Credit Card attached. Is DLP able to detect the picture is an image of sensitive data?

Resolution

This type of detection is based on a technology called Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and was added to DLP version 15.0. A separate license is needed to use OCR with Symantec DLP. The following KB lists the system requirements for using OCR. Additional information is also available in the DLP Help Center topic "About Content Detection with On Premises OCR (broadcom.com)".

Additionally, in DLP 14.5, an OCR-related option called "Form Recognition" was introduced.

"Form Recognition" is covered in chapters entitled "About Form Recognition detection (broadcom.com)", in guides published from 14.5 onward. In 15.0 and later, it's also referred to as a form of "Sensitive Image Recognition".

Form Recognition provides the ability to detect forms that contain sensitive information, such as tax forms, medical forms, insurance forms, and so on.

Form Recognition detects form images in a variety of image formats, including the following:

•  PDF (version 1.2 and later only)
•  PDF that use AcroForms format
•  JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
•  PNG
•  TIFF (single page or multi-page, .tif or .tiff)
•  Bitmap (.bmp, .dib)

Additional information:

In DLP 15.8 content detection with OCR in the Cloud has been added