At its partner event in Boca Raton, Florida, RSA has announced enhancements to its Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Suite, as well as an expansion of its partner program.

The latest version of the RSA DLP Suite is engineered to offer enhancements that allow organizations to better discover, monitor and manage risk from sensitive data loss across the infrastructure – including smartphones and tablets.

The challenges of the advanced enterprise

Organizations need to manage and secure sensitive information across a number of new consumerized endpoints and virtualized data centres. Consequently, the enhanced RSA DLP Suite is engineered to allow organizations to better manage risk from sensitive data introduced when end users connect to corporate assets using their own consumer-grade smartphones, tablets and personal computers.

To assist with this, the RSA DLP Suite can now monitor the flow of sensitive data and help prevent data loss whether end users connect to corporate email through Microsoft ActiveSync or Outlook Web Access.

In addition, the new RSA DLP Suite is designed to monitor all data transfers from virtual desktops and virtual applications to the end user’s physical device whether it’s a smartphone or a tablet or a home PC.  By integrating more deeply with the infrastructure and addressing risk holistically, organizations can avoid deploying agents on multiple devices.

Simplifying DLP management

As the amount of data, the variety of loss vectors and the types of sensitive data grow, the management of DLP programs is getting more complex.

To address these management challenges RSA has added new functionality to DLP and is also offering two new DLP process management modules called DLP Policy Workflow Manager and DLP Risk Remediation Manager. These DLP process modules are designed to help organizations better manage the lifecycle of data protection policies and to better manage risk discovered through DLP scans.

As well, the new RSA DLP Suite is combining the power of grid-based scanning with native support for Microsoft SharePoint sites and Microsoft Exchange repositories. With this combination, organizations can now manage risk introduced by the proliferation of data across various Big Data repositories.

Enhancements to RSA SecurWorld partner training

The company has also announced a number of planned enhancements to its global RSA SecurWorld channel partner program.

The company argues that these enhancements can help enable increased profitability for RSA SecurWorld partners through the sale of RSA’s portfolio of security products. Enhancements also include the simplification of some day-to-day partner processes including deal registration and the tracking of training accreditation and certifications.

RSA’s investment in developing accreditation and training programs cuts across two core tracks and their related technology solutions: Security Management & Compliance and Authentication & Identity Protection. This is intended to help increase the ability of channel partners to sell, deliver and architect products and solutions that meet key customer needs.

New program highlights include:

New specialties to accelerate business growth. Partners can choose to specialize in Authentication, Security Management or both tracks. With a further training  investment in these new SecurWorld Specialties, partners will receive greater rewards from RSA and can further differentiate their capabilities and expand technology expertise to solve security challenges. These specialties include Governance, Risk & Compliance, Security Information & Event Management, Data Loss Prevention, and Network Monitoring under the Security Management and Compliance Track, and Authentication under the Authentication and Identity Protection Track. This gives partners advanced sales and technical training, and allows them to invest in technologies core to their business.

New and improved training.  Through RSA Partner Central, partners can engage more closely with RSA and receive enhanced training that is focused on key solution areas beyond pure technology training. This gives partners the tools and resources needed to sell, service, and support the full range of RSA products and solutions and to become true trusted advisors to their customers.

A new program tier. This new tier is designed to meet the needs of RSA partners primarily reselling RSA authentication solutions. Partners in the new authorized tier have will have the ability to earn SecurWorld benefits for bringing incremental business to RSA and can reach higher tiers within the program as they grow their business.