6 Best PII Data Discovery Tools to Ensure Compliance

PII is rarely stored in one neat system. It lives across SaaS apps, cloud storage, on-prem file shares, databases and backups, then spreads through exports, tickets and AI experiments. If you cannot locate that data continuously, you cannot protect it consistently or prove compliance when regulators, customers or incident responders start asking questions. That is why PII data discovery tools are now a core part of modern privacy and security programs.

This guide compares leading PII discovery tools, explains how PII data discovery works and outlines the features that matter most. Whether you evaluate them as PII tools or sensitive data discovery tools, the selection criteria are the same: coverage, precision and the ability to drive remediation. If you are building a broader DSPM strategy, use this shortlist to focus your evaluation.

6 Best Tools for PII Data Discovery

Use this shortlist to narrow options, then validate coverage and accuracy in a proof of value using your real data sources and real PII examples. 

#1 Forcepoint DSPM: Best overall choice for enterprise PII discovery

If your top challenge is finding PII across a distributed footprint, Forcepoint DSPM is designed for fast scanning at scale, with risk-based prioritization that helps teams focus on exposures that matter. AI Mesh classification uses GenAI Small Language Models (SLM) plus complementary techniques to improve precision and cut false positives. Pairing DSPM with Forcepoint DLP also helps enforce policies across data at rest, in motion and in use, including OCR for images and stronger validation for common PII patterns.

Here’s an introduction to how AI Mesh technology works:

#2 BigID: Best for data inventory and governance programs

BigID is a common choice when organizations want enterprise-wide discovery plus data intelligence for governance. It helps build an inventory of sensitive data, map where PII resides and support initiatives like retention and privacy reporting. If you primarily need lightweight PII scanning software for a small set of systems, confirm you are comfortable with the broader platform approach.

#3 Microsoft Purview: Best for Microsoft-centric estates

Microsoft Purview is a strong fit for organizations standardized on Microsoft 365 and Azure data services. It supports PII detection and labeling across Microsoft-managed repositories, making it attractive when you want discovery tightly coupled to Microsoft information protection controls. For mixed vendor environments, plan how you will address non-Microsoft SaaS, cloud platforms and on-prem systems to avoid blind spots.

#4 OneTrust Data Discovery: Best for privacy teams and compliance workflows

OneTrust Data Discovery aligns well to privacy operations, especially when the driver is compliance readiness. It can help translate discovery results into reporting and workflows that privacy stakeholders recognize. To make findings actionable for security, define who owns remediation, what SLAs apply and what enforcement systems will act on PII once it is discovered.

#5 Securiti: Best for SaaS-heavy environments and privacy automation

Securiti is often evaluated for privacy automation and broad SaaS connectivity. It can help teams discover PII across many SaaS apps and operationalize privacy processes with automated workflows. Your proof of value should focus on connector depth for the SaaS applications that matter most, plus how well the tool handles unstructured content where PII is messy and context-driven.

#6 Varonis: Best for file and collaboration data visibility

Varonis is best known for visibility into file shares and collaboration data, including where permissions create exposure risk. It can be effective when unstructured content is the primary risk surface and access governance is the priority. If your highest-risk PII is concentrated in databases, data warehouses or cloud business systems, confirm coverage and depth for those environments.

How PII Data Discovery Tools Work and Their Role in Cybersecurity

PII data discovery tools scan data sources to locate identifiers and related context that can be linked to an individual. Most PII software combines multiple techniques, including pattern matching, dictionaries and ML-assisted classification, then continuously re-scans as data changes and permissions shift. The goal is not only to find PII but to answer operational questions: where is it stored, who can access it and where is it exposed.

Once you have that visibility, you can reduce risk through access governance, encryption, retention policies and data loss prevention. Discovery is the prerequisite for control because it shows exactly where PII resides, who can access it and where exposure is most likely. That is also the lens NIST uses in SP 800-122, which outlines how to define PII and protect it in practice.

7 Main Features of PII Data Discovery Tools to Look For

The best PII tools do not win on checklists. They win on coverage, accuracy and the ability to drive action.

1- Comprehensive coverage across repositories: SaaS, cloud storage, on-prem file shares and databases.

2- High-precision PII detection: Context-aware classification that reduces false positives and missed PII.

3- Structured and unstructured support: Tables and columns, but also documents, PDFs and images.

4- Risk prioritization: Tie sensitivity to exposure and access so teams can start by prioritizing sensitive data. 

5- Actionable reporting: Dashboards and exports that show owners, hotspots and remediation progress.

6- Workflow integration: Route findings into ticketing, security operations and governance processes.

7- Scalability and scan performance: these sensitive data scanning tools must handle large environments without disrupting production systems.

How to Implement PII Data Discovery Tools in Your Business

Start with scope and outcomes. Identify the systems most likely to hold regulated PII, then define success metrics such as reducing overexposed locations, tightening broad access roles or producing audit-ready reports. Run a baseline scan, validate samples with data owners and tune detection to balance false positives and false negatives.

Next, operationalize remediation. Assign system owners, set SLAs and route findings into existing workflows. Pair discovery with enforcement so PII findings turn into controls, not static reports. In many programs, that means combining discovery with DLP policies and least-privilege access governance.

Finally, align discovery outputs to compliance deliverables. Your reporting should make it easy to show where PII resides, who can access it and what controls are actually in place. If you want a quick way to sanity-check that your program produces the right evidence for audits and incident response, use this PII Compliance checklist as a practical guide.

Discover and Secure PII Data with Forcepoint

Forcepoint approaches PII data discovery as a continuous risk management problem, not a one-time scan. With fast discovery across major repositories, AI Mesh classification for higher accuracy and interactive reporting that surfaces exposure, teams can move from assumptions to verified answers. That is essential when PII is duplicated across environments and permissions drift over time.

PII exposure is also expanding into AI workflows, where sensitive data can slip into prompts, training sets and shadow experimentation that bypasses normal governance. If your teams are already using copilots, chatbots or internal LLMs, it is worth understanding how these systems change the PII risk surface and what guardrails to put in place before implementing automated PII data discovery tools.

Get Full Visibility Over Your PII Data

Choosing the right PII data discovery tools comes down to three questions: can it scan where your PII actually lives, can it detect PII accurately and can it drive remediation at scale. Start with coverage and precision, then prioritize solutions that connect discovery to enforcement and measurable risk reduction.

To see how Forcepoint DSPM can help, sign up for a free Data Risk Assessment today.