Data loss prevention (DLP) technology remains a core component of data security. While DLP seems ubiquitous, it’s not commoditized. New DLP offerings continue to emerge; vendors continue to innovate and improve existing offerings. Modern DLP is smarter than its predecessor, incorporating richer context to enable risk-based responses. This report examines the state of DLP technology, including expected functionality, investment drivers, and the forces influencing vendor selection. It also outlines alternative approaches that security leaders can take when preventing data loss is a required outcome but DLP technology is not a suitable data security control for the use case.