In the field of data management, data classification as a part of the Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) process is a tool for categorization and classification of data.   When implemented correctly it provides a bridge between IT professionals and process or application owners.  It is considered a foundational building block for a Data Loss Prevention strategy.   Data loss prevention solutions detects potential data breaches/data ex-filtration transmissions and prevents them by monitoring, detecting and blocking sensitive data while in-use (endpoint actions), in-motion (network traffic), and at-rest (data storage).