A Complete Guide to CRM Data Loss Prevention in Salesforce

TL;DR:

• Factors like configuration errors and third-party integrations can lead to data vulnerabilities, making DLP crucial in Salesforce CRM.
• The consequences of data exposure in Salesforce CRM can significantly impact an organization's reputation and finances.
• Strategies for Salesforce data protection range from role-based access control to robust backup solutions.
• Strac enhances Salesforce security by offering automated detection, data classification, and fine-grained access controls.

The threat of data breaches is more than just headline news; they can devastate any business. According to a report, a Salesforce data breach can, on average, cost a staggering $4 million, and 60% of small businesses that experience a data loss event never fully recover. 

Is there any solution that could save your business from data breaches? Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software.

Data Loss Prevention is a set of tools and processes designed to ensure that unauthorized users do not lose, misuse, or access sensitive information. It also helps organizations enforce consistent data protection policies across their Salesforce CRM instances, thereby reducing the risk of data exposure. 

In this post, we’ll learn about Salesforce DLP and 7 solid strategies to enhance DLP in Salesforce.

1. What Is Salesforce DLP and Why Does It Matter?

Salesforce is one of the most widely used CRMs in the world—and it's also one of the most underestimated when it comes to data security risks. While Salesforce provides extensive access controls and encryption mechanisms, it does not offer built-in Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to automatically detect, classify, and protect sensitive data.

DLP for Salesforce refers to the ability to automatically discover, monitor, and remediate sensitive data—such as PII, PHI, financial data, or secrets—within Salesforce records, attachments, chats, and more. It ensures that sensitive customer information doesn’t get exposed, downloaded, or exfiltrated without oversight.

Why traditional perimeter security isn’t enough:

• Firewalls and endpoint tools don’t inspect what happens inside Salesforce.
• Users can upload or access sensitive data from unmanaged devices.
• Unstructured fields, case comments, and file uploads are blind spots for legacy tools.

That’s where Salesforce-native or API-integrated DLP solutions like Strac Salesforce DLP come in—they fill the security gap by monitoring actual content and usage inside Salesforce.

✨ 2. Where Does Sensitive Data Live Inside Salesforce?

Sensitive data in Salesforce doesn’t just sit in a field—it’s scattered across multiple objects, modules, and file types. Without full visibility, security teams are left blind to how sensitive customer data is stored and shared.

Here’s where sensitive data typically hides:

• Case Objects
  Used heavily in customer support workflows. Users paste SSNs, credit cards, health info, and more in case comments or status updates.
• Attachments
  Files uploaded by customers—such as IDs, prescriptions, or invoices—can contain unencrypted PII/PHI.
• Email-to-Case Content
  Incoming emails with sensitive data are converted into cases, but often contain names, emails, account numbers, or health records.
• FeedComments, Chatter, and Live Chat
  Inline conversations between agents and customers can hold sensitive, unstructured text that legacy DLP can’t scan effectively.
• Custom Objects and Fields
  Every Salesforce org is customized. Sensitive info may be stored in user-defined fields or nested custom objects.
• Sandbox Environments
  Often overlooked—developers clone production data into Sandboxes for testing without redacting or anonymizing sensitive info.

✨ Strac scans across all of these data types, classifying and remediating risks in real time.

✨ 3. Key Risk Factors That Lead to Data Exposure in Salesforce CRM

Data exposure in Salesforce isn’t hypothetical—it’s already happened. In 2019, Salesforce reported a breach due to malicious code, and in another incident, misconfigured Community pages exposed sensitive data from the State of Vermont, including Social Security numbers and bank details. These incidents aren’t rare—they’re systemic.

Here’s why Salesforce environments are uniquely prone to data exposure:

1. No Clear Data Security Owner

Many organizations lack a dedicated stakeholder responsible for aligning Salesforce configurations with security and compliance policies. As a result:

• Security gaps often go unnoticed.
• Misconfigurations can allow unauthorized access to sensitive records.
• Sensitive attachments and PII/PHI fields are left unprotected.

Without ownership, there’s no accountability—and no accountability leads to breach.

2. Audit and Compliance Blind Spots

Salesforce fields (standard or custom) must be audited for regulations like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and CCPA. But manual audits often fail to:

• Track changes across custom objects.
• Identify sensitive data in free-form text (comments, cases, etc.).
• Detect non-compliant file uploads.

Miss one audit cycle, and you could be looking at fines, reputational damage, or worse—a breach that goes undetected for months.

3. Sandbox Environments with Production Data

Sandboxes are essential for development—but they're also a security risk:

• Sensitive data is often cloned into sandboxes without redaction.
• Access controls are rarely as strict as production.
• Test environments become soft targets for attackers.

Strac helps reduce this risk by automatically detecting and redacting sensitive data before it enters sandboxes.

4. Sensitive Data Is Scattered Everywhere

Email-to-case, file attachments, live chat logs, custom objects—Salesforce is rich in features, but each creates a new place for data to hide. Without centralized monitoring:

• Data leaks become difficult to trace.
• Security teams can't protect what they can't see.

Strac scans unstructured content across these data sources to surface hidden risks in real time. Checkout Strac Catalog of Sensitive Data elements: https://www.strac.io/blog/strac-catalog-of-sensitive-data-elements

5. No Data Classification Strategy

If you don't know what data is sensitive, you can't protect it. Yet most teams never classify the data flowing into their Salesforce org:

• PII, PHI, and financial data remain untagged.
• Admins can’t enforce policies around unknown risks.

Strac auto-classifies sensitive data and builds a live inventory across your Salesforce instance.

6. Insider Risk and Misconfigured Access

One of the biggest risks isn’t attackers—it’s internal users with too much access. In the Vermont case, internal Salesforce users had overly broad privileges, causing public exposure of confidential records.

Excessive internal access—combined with lack of real-time monitoring—is a formula for breach.

✨ 4. What Are the Real Risks of Not Having Salesforce DLP?

Not having Salesforce DLP isn’t a theoretical risk—it’s a proven vulnerability.

Case in Point: State of Vermont Breach

In 2020, the State of Vermont suffered a Salesforce-related data leak. Misconfigured access to Salesforce Community pages exposed sensitive PII, including Social Security numbers and bank details—all due to internal user misconfigurations and excessive permissions.

Other real risks:

• Insider misuse:
  Employees with excessive access can download or share sensitive case records undetected.
• Sandbox data leaks:
  Production data cloned into insecure Sandboxes is ripe for exploitation.
• Audit failure:
  Compliance frameworks like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR require controls over sensitive data. Lack of audit trails and data classification can lead to non-compliance penalties and breach reporting obligations.

Without DLP, Salesforce becomes a ticking time bomb—especially when teams have no idea where sensitive data lives.

Quick Tip: For those concerned about data leakage risks, Strac offers automated detection and redaction to help you maintain control over your sensitive data.

5. Why Traditional Endpoint or Network DLP Fails Inside Salesforce

Legacy DLP solutions were built for a world of emails and file shares—not SaaS platforms like Salesforce. As a result, they completely miss:

• SaaS-layer content:
  Endpoint or proxy DLPs can’t inspect case comments, live chat, Chatter threads, or field-level data in Salesforce.
• API coverage gaps:
  Even for vendors using APIs, most DLP tools fail to detect embedded files, inline images, or rich text content.
• BYOD and remote work:
  Employees access Salesforce from unmanaged laptops or mobile devices—outside the scope of corporate agents.
• Sandbox environments:
  Legacy DLP tools rarely inspect data flows within development environments where sensitive production data is copied.

This is why you need a Salesforce-aware DLP solution—one that works at the application layer and supports real-time scanning, classification, redaction, and remediation. Strac's DLP for Salesforce does exactly that—without relying on endpoint software or network taps.

6. Does Salesforce CRM have an in-built DLP functionality?

No, Salesforce does not natively include Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities. Instead, it requires third-party solutions like Strac to deliver this functionality. Strac integrates directly with Salesforce to automatically discover, classify, and remediate sensitive data—such as PII, PHI, and PCI data—across case comments, attachments, and custom objects. This is critical for organizations looking to maintain compliance with regulations like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR. Without a DLP solution like Strac, sensitive customer data can easily be exposed or mishandled within Salesforce.

7. Compliance Use Cases Solved by Salesforce DLP

Whether you’re in healthcare, finance, or SaaS—Salesforce DLP helps maintain compliance with industry frameworks. Here’s how:

• HIPAA
  Automatically detects and redacts Protected Health Information (PHI) in support tickets, attachments, and agent conversations.
• PCI-DSS
  Prevents storage or exfiltration of credit card numbers and payment data in case objects or custom fields.
• GDPR & CCPA
  Helps with data subject access requests by identifying and exporting or deleting personal data across the Salesforce org.
• SOX & FedRAMP
  Enables real-time monitoring of financial or government-related data and tracks user-level access and file handling behavior.

With Strac, you gain:

• Full visibility into where sensitive data resides
• Alerting for violations or excessive access
• Remediation workflows including redaction, masking, or deletion
• Audit logs for regulatory reporting

✨ 8. 7 Strategies for Enhancing Data Loss Prevention in Salesforce

A report by SilverlineCRM states that 86% of sensitive fields are not protected in many Salesforce instances. This underscores the importance of DLP strategies, especially when Salesforce CRM often holds sensitive customer information like social security number, credit card details, or driver's licenses. Here are seven strategies to keep your data safe and secure in Salesforce CRM:

1. Optimize Security Settings

Regularly conduct Salesforce Security Health Checks to ensure your security settings meet the Salesforce Baseline Standard. Aim for a high compliance score to minimize vulnerabilities.

2. Limit System Admin Roles

Reducing the number of 'System Admin' profiles is crucial to avoid ungoverned changes that could lead to data loss. Instead of granting full admin access to multiple users, assign specific roles and responsibilities to each admin. This ensures that only qualified individuals have the authority to make significant changes, thereby reducing the risk of accidental or intentional data mishandling.

3. Restrict "Modify All Data" Permissions

Limit the number of profiles with "Modify All Data" permissions to minimize the risk of user-inflicted data loss. This permission should be reserved for admins or important stakeholders.

4. Certify Salesforce Admins

Certification isn't just a badge; it's a testament to an admin's skill level and understanding of Salesforce best practices. Ensuring that all Salesforce admins are certified provides multiple benefits⬇️

• It elevates the team's overall competency, 
• Ensures the team is up-to-date with the latest Salesforce features and security protocols.

This is crucial for maintaining a secure and efficient CRM system.

5. Unique Credentials for Integrations

Assigning unique credentials for each integration streamlines monitoring and enhances security. If an issue arises, you can quickly identify which integration is the culprit, thereby reducing downtime and potential data loss. This targeted approach to credential management is crucial for maintaining a secure and efficient Salesforce environment.

6. Implement Robust Backup Strategies

A well-thought-out backup strategy is crucial for safeguarding your Salesforce data. Incorporate both full and incremental backups into your plan. Full backups capture all existing data, while incremental backups only store data that has changed since the last backup. To further enhance your data protection, consider third-party solutions that offer features like encryption and automated backup schedules.

7. Regulatory Compliance

Pay attention to data protection laws and regulations like GDPR, CCPA, or Salesforce HIPAA compliance. Ensure that your backup strategies are compliant with these regulations to avoid legal consequences.

9. 📽️ How Strac Provides Agentless DLP for Salesforce (Video)

Strac supports users to keep their Salesforce data safe. The platform offers a robust Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution that seamlessly integrates with Salesforce, providing additional security for sensitive CRM data.

➡️Learn more about Strac’s solution for Salesforce Data Security here - Salesforce DLP.

Strac’s key features to keep your sensitive data secure.

Automated Detection and Redaction: Leveraging high-accuracy machine-learning models, Strac detects and redacts sensitive information, reducing the risk of unauthorized exposure.

Comprehensive Data Classification: The platform offers a robust framework for classifying various types of sensitive data, making it easier to apply appropriate security measures.

Fine-grained Access Controls: You can implement detailed access controls, ensuring only authorized personnel can access sensitive data within Salesforce.

Anonymization and Masking: Use Strac’s advanced features to anonymize and mask data, especially in sandbox and testing environments.

Regulatory Compliance: Strac helps you comply with various data protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA, offering peace of mind and reducing legal risks. A DLP Security Checklist can help ensure your backup strategies comply with these regulations.

Integrations - Strac offers integrations is the widest range of SaaS apps - from Gmail, Salesforce, to ChatGPT, Intercom, Slack, Zendesk, and more. 

Alerts and Notifications:  Stay ahead of potential security issues with real-time alerts and notifications. These timely warnings allow you to take immediate corrective action, ensuring your Salesforce data remains secure.

Strac UI Vault: Strac offers a secure vault environment for storing and managing sensitive Salesforce data. This adds an additional layer of protection, making it even more difficult for unauthorized users to access your valuable information.

10. 🌶️ Spicy FAQs for Salesforce DLP

Can Salesforce Shield replace a DLP solution?

No. Salesforce Shield is focused on encryption, field audit trails, and event monitoring—not on classifying, redacting, or remediating sensitive data across objects or attachments. You still need a DLP solution to prevent data leaks.

Can I rely on endpoint DLP for Salesforce protection?

Not really. Endpoint DLP can’t see into SaaS-layer content like chat comments or case messages received by customers or file uploads. It also fails to protect users on unmanaged/BYOD devices. You need app-layer visibility.

What if our Salesforce data is mostly in custom objects?

Strac is built to scan both standard and custom objects, including custom fields, rich text areas, and related attachments—so you're covered, regardless of how your org is structured.

Is Salesforce DLP only needed for large enterprises?

No. If you’re storing any customer data in Salesforce—whether 100 or 5,000 users—you’re at risk of breach. Mid-market companies are just as likely to be targeted, often with fewer internal controls in place.

What’s the fastest way to deploy DLP in Salesforce?

With Strac, you can get started in under 15 minutes via secure OAuth. No agents. No sandbox disruptions. Just instant scanning, classification, and alerting.