Market Guide from Gartner® Discusses Why DSPM Is Essential for AI Data Security

In our opinion, Gartner makes it clear: DSPM has shifted from optional to essential for organizations looking to secure sensitive data in the new Market Guide for Data Security Posture Management (DSPM).  AI isn’t just improving your business, it’s rewriting the rules of data security. Organizations can’t afford blind spots in how sensitive data moves across data centers, clouds, apps, and AI pipelines.

Gartner describes DSPM as the “nervous system” of modern data security. In the report, they discuss how DSPM provides continuous visibility into structured and unstructured data, assesses exposure risks like excessive permissions and poor residency controls, and enforces guardrails for GenAI use. Gartner also notes other challenges, from vendor lock-in to the staffing required to operationalize findings.

DSPM is designed to shine a light into the darkest corners of your sensitive data. It continuously discovers and classifies sensitive data across cloud platforms, SaaS environments, and on-premises systems, providing the visibility organizations need to understand their true risk surface.

Gartner Calls DSPM the Nervous System of Modern Data Security

We agree with the Gartner premise that the AI use cases only raise the stakes. DSPM helps identify sensitive data inside AI prompts, outputs and vector databases, while enforcing policies around sanctioned GenAI tools and geographic restrictions. Without these safeguards, organizations risk exposing valuable data through uncontrolled AI pipelines.

Risk posture clarity is another critical benefit. DSPM assigns risk scores based on sensitivity and access, surfacing problems such as excessive permissions, weak residency controls or compliance gaps. That insight enables security leaders to prioritize what needs fixing first.

And Gartner also cautions that operationalization is not trivial. Many organizations underestimate the resources required to validate findings, assign ownership and take remediation action. That makes planning for staffing and workflows just as important as the technology itself.

Gartner also discusses the need to avoid lock-in. Most DSPM vendors rely on proprietary data catalogs and do not support open standards, creating integration challenges. Security leaders should prioritize vendors that support interoperability and align adoption with business outcomes, rolling out DSPM in phases rather than all at once.

We Believe Forcepoint DSPM Delivers on the Gartner Market Guide

In our opinion, Forcepoint DSPM addresses the needs Gartner discusses by combining comprehensive discovery with real-time remediation. It continuously scans unstructured data across hybrid and multicloud environments, powered by AI Mesh for advanced sensitivity scoring that adapts to each organization’s definition of risk.

Where Gartner emphasizes posture clarity, we feel Forcepoint DSPM delivers actionable insights. It highlights risks tied to data residency, excessive access, and regulatory requirements, enabling security teams to focus on the exposures that matter most.

Forcepoint DSPM integrates directly with Forcepoint Data Detection & Response (DDR). This means organizations gain continuous monitoring and the ability to remediate risks in real time, closing the loop between discovery and enforcement.

Forcepoint also extends visibility into AI pipelines, ensuring sensitive data is not inadvertently exposed during GenAI adoption. Security leaders can enforce guardrails around AI tools and data flows while maintaining compliance and reducing the risk of data leakage.

At its core, DSPM bridges the gap between discovery, classification and remediation. It’s the foundation for managing data risk at scale, giving organizations the clarity and control needed to secure sensitive assets before they’re exploited.  

Download the Gartner Report

We feel the Market Guide for Data Security Posture Management from Gartner makes it clear: no organization can navigate the AI era without a clear understanding of where sensitive data lives and how it’s protected. We believe Forcepoint DSPM delivers on that vision, giving security leaders the visibility, context and control Gartner discusses.

Download the full DSPM Gartner Market Guide today and see why DSPM is the foundation of modern data security. 
 

➡️ Download the Report

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Gartner®: Market Guide for Data Security Posture Management, Joerg Fritsch, Brian Lowans, Andrew Bales, 17 September 2025  

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