Introduction to DSPM Technologies: Securing & Inventorizing Your Data in a Changing Landscape

In today's data-driven world, organizations face a critical challenge: if they don't know where their sensitive data resides, designing an effective security governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) program becomes nearly impossible. The proliferation of data across diverse environments—cloud, on-premises, hybrid systems, various storage systems, and numerous SaaS platforms—compounds this challenge. Without clear visibility, identifying and securing sensitive information is daunting. This is where Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) technologies come into play. DSPM provides essential strategies to discover data at scale, offering the visibility needed to safeguard sensitive information and maintain robust security governance.

What is DSPM?

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) refers to a set of tools and practices designed to continuously monitor, assess, and improve an organization's data security and compliance posture. DSPM solutions provide visibility into the type of sensitive data an organization has, where it resides, how it is accessed, and any potential risks that could lead to data breaches or compliance violations.

Key Benefits of DSPM Solutions

Asset Discovery and Cataloging: DSPM tools automatically scan and identify data assets across cloud and on-prem environments, file systems, and other applications, creating a comprehensive inventory of the organization's data assets.

Data Classification: Using advanced classification techniques, these tools discover, classify, and automatically tag sensitive data. For instance, they could discover health data and highlight associated compliance risks or efficiently tag all “Confidential” data within an organization.

Risk Assessment: These tools create visibility into security and governance configuration metadata to identify potential vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. For example, they....

Author

Kenneth Moras

Cybersecurity leader, with extensive experience in building strategic risk management programs at Plaid and scaling cybersecurity programs at notable organizations such as Meta and Adobe. His expertise also extends to cybersecurity consulting for Fortune 500 companies during his tenure at KPMG.