By Thyaga Vasudevan, EVP of Product at Skyhigh Security

More Data, More Problems

It's often said that you can never have too much of a good thing. While that sentiment isn't entirely untrue, I can think of some key examples that speak to the contrary: sit too long enjoying the warmth of the sun and you might get burned; eat too much ice cream and you'll likely end up with a stomachache. Overindulge without caution, and you'll probably experience significant repercussions. 

The same mentality can be applied to how modern businesses use their data. Data is an incredibly powerful resource, capable of deriving insights and driving actions with timeliness and precision. It's no wonder that the big data analytics market is expected to grow to more than 961 billion USD by 2032.

But as companies rush to adopt the latest data-driven tools-such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models, cloud data storage and management, business intelligence tools, or beyond-they actively broaden their attack surface and introduce new risks to the data they are leveraging. These risks include shadow data, exposed cloud vulnerabilities, and the heightened risk of data breaches, all of which sit under the larger umbrella of increasingly stringent privacy standards and regulations.

This high-risk and thoroughly regulated environment makes visibility, security, and control over data more crucial than ever before. Teams are responsible for ensuring that data collection, storage, and usage are all done securely and without excessive disruption for data users. This is no small feat-but much like sunscreen helps prevent sunburns, there is a growing approach to data security that proactively mitigates the related risks: data security posture management (DSPM).

The Emergence of Data Security Posture Management

Data security posture management is a comprehensive framework for managing and securing data across cloud data architectures, including multi-cloud and hybrid cloud ecosystems. It does this by enabling a holistic view of data from the time it is collected to the way(s) in which it is used, automating security workflows and allowing for the proactive identification and mitigation of risks.

DSPM empowers teams to address a number of critical components of the data security process, including:

• Discovery and classification. Data architectures are continuously monitored in order to scan, tag, and classify all new data resources based on sensitivity, risk level, and compliance requirements. This provides teams with a complete understanding of what kinds of data they possess and where it resides at all times.
• Access governance. Knowing you have sensitive data is one thing, but controlling who can see it is another. DSPM helps enforce data access controls and monitors usage, maintaining the principle of least privilege and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Risk analysis and security posture management. Through continuous monitoring, DSPM regularly evaluates potential vulnerabilities and anomalies and provides real-time insights that help teams proactively address any risks to their data.
• Automated policy enforcement. DSPM frameworks can be tasked to automatically apply security policies-from access control adjustments to sensitive data encryption-in order to quickly respond to threats without constant manual oversight.

By streamlining and automating these processes, enterprise teams can more easily detect and respond to any security incidents in their system. 

Comparing DSPM and Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

For those familiar with the application of data security measures, DSPM might sound familiar. Is it not similar to solutions like data loss prevention (DLP)?

The answer is both yes and no. Traditionally, DLP solutions have focused primarily on preventing data exfiltration, or the unauthorized transfer of data resources from a device, server, or network. They do this by using predefined policies to monitor and control how data moves across cloud system endpoints, networks, emails, and more.

DLP is proactive insofar as resources are protected based on known and assumed risks. DSPM, however, takes a more comprehensive hands-on approach. It provides teams with a deeper understanding of their sensitive data, maintaining protective policies while actively monitoring data use and identifying anomalies and security gaps. With this real-time knowledge, teams can continuously monitor their security posture and data usage across cloud environments and more quickly respond to threats and risks.

The Benefits of Early DSPM Adoption

Any business that's already leveraging a security solution like DLP may be wondering why they would need to integrate DSPM into their existing infrastructure. To answer this query, I think it makes sense to call back to our sunscreen example.

If the forecast claims it'll be partially cloudy on the day you plan to go to the beach, you should still make sure to apply sunscreen. You don't know for sure what the day will hold or when the clouds will blow over. Even in a situation where factors are uncertain, it's better to take proactive precautions than to be caught unprepared.

We find ourselves today in the midst of a rapidly changing data landscape. As things like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) services, quantum computing capabilities, and distributed cloud computing architectures continue to evolve, their impact on data security is both significant and, unfortunately, not entirely predictable. As we navigate our teams through these intense and exciting changes, it's best to leverage solutions that maintain a comprehensive and continuous approach to data security and compliance.

DSPM gives organizations visibility and control over their sensitive data regardless of where it resides, making it well-suited to adapt to constantly changing data ecosystems. Teams can quickly detect and respond to data-related incidents, proactively respond to data breaches, reduce the risk of insider threats, and improve compliance all while remaining open to technological advancements and the benefits they hold.

By adopting integrated DSPM capabilities early in their data modernization journey, teams can confidently venture into new realms of data usage with less fear of security lapses or noncompliance. This is why DSPM is not just an exciting development, but an essential part of any dynamic data-driven organization's security stack.

##

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thyaga Vasudevan is a high-energy software professional currently serving as the Executive Vice President, Product at Skyhigh Security, where he leads Product Management, Design, Product Marketing and GTM Strategies. With a wealth of experience, he has successfully contributed to building products in both SAAS-based Enterprise Software (Oracle, Hightail - formerly YouSendIt, WebEx, Vitalect) and Consumer Internet (Yahoo! Messenger - Voice and Video). 

He is dedicated to the process of identifying underlying end-user problems and use cases and takes pride in leading the specification and development of high-tech products and services to address these challenges, including helping organizations navigate the delicate balance between risks and opportunities. Thyaga loves to educate and mentor and has had the privilege to speak at esteemed events such as RSA, Trellix Xpand, MPOWER, AWS Re:invent, Microsoft Ignite, BoxWorks, and Blackhat. He thrives at the intersection of technology and problem-solving, aiming to drive innovation that not only addresses current challenges but also anticipates future needs.