Forcepoint adds ARIA AI assistant to Data Security Cloud

Forcepoint has updated its Data Security Cloud platform with a new AI assistant, ARIA, and a redesigned endpoint agent. The company is positioning the service for organisations rolling out generative AI tools and managing fast-changing data flows.

ARIA, short for Adaptive Risk Intelligence Assistant, uses natural-language prompts to help security teams create or update data protection policies. It can also flag coverage gaps when teams adopt new AI products, such as copilots, without putting controls in place.

The release also includes a next-generation "Data Security Everywhere" agent for endpoints. It inspects data on devices and enforces policies locally, rather than sending traffic through a remote proxy. Forcepoint said the approach avoids slowing users while maintaining coverage across sanctioned applications.

ARIA assistant

Forcepoint said ARIA draws information from across Data Security Cloud to generate policy recommendations, along with explanations for administrator review. It also lets teams apply policy changes across multiple channels from a single interface, spanning endpoint, cloud and collaboration tools.

For incident response, ARIA integrates with third-party workplace and IT service tools, including ServiceNow and Slack. It also provides continuous risk insights via Forcepoint's "AI Mesh", which the company said discovers and classifies "billions of structured and unstructured data elements".

Forcepoint framed the update as a response to rising exposure from AI adoption and data sprawl. As organisations add AI features to business software and experiment with standalone AI services, the risk increases that sensitive information will be shared outside approved systems.

A World Economic Forum report cited by Forcepoint found 66 percent of organisations expect AI to have the most significant impact on cybersecurity in the next year. The same research found many organisations lack formal processes for assessing AI risk.

Endpoint focus

The new endpoint agent expands Forcepoint's approach to enforcing data policies closer to where work happens. It adds on-device web intelligence and supports both cloud and on-premises environments. It also combines investigation and forensics features with user-level awareness in a single agent.

Forcepoint said the agent can manage access to approved AI applications while blocking sensitive data from being entered into unsanctioned AI tools and personal cloud storage services. The company also said it is broadening coverage across web and email channels alongside endpoint controls.

Data Security Cloud combines multiple security functions under a single-policy framework. Forcepoint said it includes data security posture management, cloud data loss prevention, data detection and response, web and email security, a cloud access security broker, remote browser isolation, forensics and risk-adaptive protection.

Forcepoint said the goal is to reduce reliance on multiple point products. It also argued that real-time enforcement reduces the lag between detecting activity and acting on it, particularly when sensitive information moves quickly between AI tools, collaboration platforms and cloud services.

Wider integrations

Alongside ARIA and the endpoint agent, Forcepoint has extended structured data security coverage for modern analytics and cloud data platforms. The company said it now supports cloud data "lakehouses" including Databricks and Snowflake.

Forcepoint also said it has deepened integration with Google Workspace as part of a broader effort to maintain consistent policy enforcement across SaaS products, hybrid environments and endpoints.

Ryan Windham, CEO of Forcepoint, linked the upgrades to changing corporate information flows in AI-driven environments.

"AI has made data a living, breathing thing, permanently changing how information ripples through organizations and demanding true visibility and control that moves just as fast," said Ryan Windham, CEO, Forcepoint.

A customer example highlighted the challenge of managing controls across many systems and locations. Liberty University operates in multiple countries and has a large student population, its security lead said.

"We have data everywhere - in the cloud, on prem, across 140,000 students in 70 countries. AI, modernization and data sprawl are all interlinked, and if we wait to see what challenges AI brings, we're behind," said Brian Johnson, Director of IT Security, Liberty University. "Before Forcepoint, I had multiple platforms and limited line of sight across them. Data Security Cloud gives us unified visibility and control at scale and simplifies my job."

Partner programme

Forcepoint also updated its Global Partner Program with a simplified three-tier structure and revised deal and incentive mechanics centred on Data Security Cloud. The company said the programme includes deal registration margins with no minimum thresholds and "deal families" mapped to data security use cases.

It also said it has expanded partner enablement with billable capability development, positioning it as a way for partners to build services around the platform.

"Organisations are realizing that fragmented security tools create gaps that adversaries exploit," said Ian L. Paterson, CEO, Plurilock. "Forcepoint's unified Data Security Cloud platform and updated partner program align closely with Plurilock's philosophy of delivering fewer tools, more security and measurable outcomes for our clients."

Forcepoint said it will demonstrate the Data Security Cloud updates at upcoming virtual and industry events, including sessions focused on use cases and product demonstrations.