Data protection is not getting simpler or more straightforward. It’s quite the opposite. Once it’s out there, it’s there forever and often duplicated. We’ve all seen it – any time someone influential posts something, especially if it’s controversial, hundreds if not thousands of people screenshot it so that even if that person deletes the post, it’s in the hands of more people than ever expected.

That’s just social media data. What about data that companies are protecting against any unauthorized disclosure? How many files are sent to multiple people via email? While organizations have a handle on various repositories and types of data, such as email and files in network folders, they may not know a) where every single bit of data resides and b) what happens with every bit of that data.

Data that’s unmonitored, unmanaged, or undocumented and that resides outside the formal confines of an organization’s IT and security teams is called shadow data. This data typically accumulates in various environments without being properly accounted for in the organization’s security or data governance processes. A few common sources of shadow data include cloud storage, data exports and backups, and copies of sensitive information that are saved or exported by employees and forgotten.

The risk with shadow data is that it can be exposed to cyber threats like unauthorized access or data breaches because it isn’t secured or monitored according to the organization’s formal security policies. A framework for protecting the growing data issue is Data Security Posture (DSP), and the tools used to manage it are Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). To better understand the difference, “Data Security Posture (DSP) refers to the overall state of an organization’s data security, including the measures taken to protect and manage data. DSPM, on the other hand, is a specialized category of tools that enable organizations to manage their DSP by giving them visibility into their data assets.”

How much of a concern is data management? Gartner projects a rapid adoption forecast, calculating that by 2026, more than 20% of organizations will deploy DSPM technology. There’s an urgent need to identify and mitigate risks associated with shadow data. Data safety starts with automatically finding and classifying important data across different platforms. The next step is assessing risks and compliance issues tied to that data and keeping an eye on who has access to it and how it’s being used. DSPM tools also evaluate current security measures, suggest fixes for any gaps, and continuously monitor everything to make sure companies are on top of their data security game.

What DSPM Does

Getting a little more specific, here are some aspects that make DSPM a reasonable approach to data security:

1. Cataloging and Classifying Data Assets: DSPM helps organizations quickly locate and catalog data assets across complex multicloud environments. It classifies data based on sensitivity, helping prioritize security efforts.

• Assessing and Addressing the Attack Surface: DSPM provides visibility into where sensitive data resides and who has access to it. This helps identify potential attack vectors and minimize the attack surface.

• Compliance Support: Because companies have visibility into data and the accompanying security controls, DSPM assists organizations in meeting regulatory standards.

• Streamlining Data Security in Multicloud Environments: DSPM streamlines data management in multi-cloud environments by providing a consolidated view of data. By discovering and classifying data across multiple cloud platforms, teams can enforce consistent security policies and have real-time visibility into the security posture.

Graph analytics for Deeper Insights

Before moving on to more about risk mitigation, let’s get a little more technical. When protecting any assets, remember: “Defenders think in lists. Attackers think in graphs.” Graph analytics is a method that maps data points (or nodes) and the relationships between them (edges), creating a network of interconnected elements. It’s a visual representation of all the interactions within your data environment. Instead of viewing data in isolation, graph analytics helps security teams see how different assets, users, and systems are interconnected—crucial for understanding data flow, access patterns, and risk propagation.

Graph analytics is used to create a dynamic and constantly evolving “map” of how sensitive data moves through an organization. It allows for better visibility into who has access to what data, how data is connected across environments, and where security gaps may exist.

DSPM reveals how data flows through an organization, particularly across cloud and hybrid environments. Graph analytics helps DSPM visualize data flows, uncover hidden dependencies (e.g., insecure connections between systems, whereas the systems themselves may be secure), identify risky access patterns, and analyze user behavior.

Improving Risk Management

The usual disclaimer: there’s never a one-and-done multiplex solution, and there’s never a single-function device that will fix things. Any proposed fix needs to be part of a layered security strategy.

When might one use DSPM? Is it worth it? Calculating the ROI of any solution in business is always an important step. The calculation of data security tools needs to include a risk assessment – what does the solution cost vs. what would happen if the risk materialized?

DSPM tools allow organizations to quickly address risks by employing:

• Continuous Monitoring of Data Assets: DSPM provides continuous visibility into data access patterns and activities. This real-time monitoring helps detect suspicious behavior, such as unauthorized access attempts or unusual data transfers (for those subject to New York State’s SHIELD Act, be aware that a “breach” includes notification of “unauthorized access,” not just theft, destruction, or data leaks).

• Automated Alerts and Adaptive Response: When a potential risk is detected, DSPM tools generate automated alerts to notify security teams, ensuring that incidents are addressed promptly.