Proofpoint unveils unified AI data security platform for enterprises

Proofpoint has launched a unified data security solution intended to address the challenges organisations face in identifying, classifying and safeguarding their data across various platforms and channels.

The solution is designed to help organisations manage data security risks that have grown with the increasing use of cloud applications, collaboration tools, endpoints, and artificial intelligence (AI) services, often extending beyond the oversight of security teams. According to Proofpoint's 2024 Data Loss Landscape Report, 85% of organisations suffered a data loss incident in the past year, and over a quarter report uncertainty about the location of their sensitive data.

The company's new approach integrates data loss prevention (DLP), data security posture management (DSPM), and insider threat management into a single platform. Built on the Proofpoint Nexus platform - incorporating AI models, behavioural analytics, and human risk intelligence - this architecture aims to offer visibility and enforcement across endpoints, email, web, and cloud environments.

Mayank Choudhary, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Data Security Group at Proofpoint, said, "Securing data is fundamentally a human problem, amplified by growing data sprawl and increasing complexity. With today's announcement, we are redefining how organisations approach data security. Our unified platform converges DLP, DSPM, and insider threat management to eliminate the patchwork of point solutions that fail to meet the demands of today's AI-first, data-centric world. It is adaptive, intelligent, and prepared for an agentic AI future."

The solution introduces a unified policy engine, which applies data security policies consistently across DLP, DSPM, and insider threat management, aiming to mitigate risks such as data exfiltration and exposure regardless of the channel or location. Proofpoint's Nexus data lineage feature tracks data from creation through all manipulations and transfer points, enabling security teams to respond to incidents and apply controls based on a file's history and context.

Proofpoint highlights the complexity of large-scale data security, noting that, in reality, few organisations possess the resources to manually classify documents and set access controls at the required scale. The introduction of agent-driven automation through AI-powered classification and adaptive controls is positioned as a response to these resourcing challenges.

The platform's new agent-driven capabilities include AI-powered, real-time data classification using pre-trained large language model classifiers capable of identifying sensitive data, including company intellectual property, with precision. Proofpoint plans to add auto-learning features for adaptive classification based on an organisation's unique data profile. In addition, adaptive DSPM controls provide automated remediation to manage data privileges and prevent exposure in both cloud and on-premises environments, reducing manual intervention for security teams.

These additions are designed to work alongside Proofpoint's existing intent-aware data loss and insider threat controls, with the goal of preventing most data loss incidents while tailoring additional measures to users deemed to be placing data at risk.

Organisations such as Snowflake use Proofpoint's technology to reduce data risk and enhance compliance. Sandeep Chandana, Senior Director of Machine Learning at Snowflake, said, "Proofpoint's DSPM platform gives our teams the visibility and intelligence we need to manage and gain a deeper understanding of our data security posture. Its data classification and risk insights enable us to enforce least privilege access and strengthen governance across our environment to help customers ensure their data is easy, connected, and trusted."

The solution is equipped to support Proofpoint's recent integration of Normalyze, aimed at helping organisations scale their data security without affecting operational efficiency.

Proofpoint expects the new unified data security solution and related capabilities to be available worldwide by the end of August 2025.