Organizations have invested heavily in network security, endpoint security, identity systems, application controls and data loss prevention tools. Those controls matter. But sensitive information can still be exposed when users have too much access, credentials are compromised, data is copied to a new location, files are emailed, analytics pipelines move confidential records, or ransomware gives attackers access to systems and storage.

The challenge is not just knowing where sensitive data exists. It is keeping that data protected throughout its lifecycle. Security teams need a way to enforce consistent controls across structured and unstructured data. Data teams need to support reporting, analytics and AI without creating unnecessary exposure. Compliance teams need audit-ready evidence that sensitive information is properly classified, protected and accessed only by authorized users.