An internal employee has sold a copy of the production customer database that was being used for upgrade testing to outside parties via HTTP file upload. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) has…

A network-based IPS detects and blocks known attack signatures and anomalous traffic, but it is not designed to identify and stop authorized users from intentionally uploading sensitive files.

DLP solutions inspect outbound network traffic for sensitive content patterns - such as large database exports or PII - and can block or alert on unauthorized transfers regardless of protocol, including HTTP uploads. DLP directly addresses the insider threat scenario by monitoring and controlling data movement at the network and endpoint level. It is specifically designed to prevent the type of deliberate data exfiltration described in this scenario.

A host-based IDS monitors system activity for signs of compromise but does not prevent a legitimate user from deliberately copying and uploading data.

A web application firewall protects web applications from external attacks such as SQL injection and XSS, not outbound data exfiltration by internal users.