As organizations race to adopt AI, security teams are under pressure to balance speed with control. AI assistants, copilots, chatbots, and autonomous agents all rely on access to enterprise data, making data protection a foundational part of AI security, not a separate concern.
In practice, securing AI requires a layered approach. This typically includes data discovery and classification, data loss prevention (DLP), data security posture management (DSPM), governance and policy enforcement, and visibility into how AI systems access, move, and expose data.
The platforms below represent some of the strongest options for organizations looking to secure AI initiatives at scale.
Fortra
Fortra stands out by positioning AI security as part of a broader data security framework, rather than treating it as an isolated category. It brings together data discovery, classification, DLP, and AI-specific controls in a unified data security platform to help organizations protect sensitive data across AI workflows.
This approach aligns with a reality many enterprises are confronting: Securing AI starts with securing the data behind it. Organizations need clear visibility into where sensitive data lives, how it’s classified, who can access it, and whether it is being exposed through generative AI tools.
Fortra’s data security portfolio supports this by helping organizations discover sensitive data, apply consistent classification, enforce protection policies, and monitor how users interact with gen AI applications. For enterprises in regulated industries, this mix of visibility and control is often a better choice than point solutions that only address one part of the problem.
Strengths
- Comprehensive approach spanning discovery, classification, DLP, and AI protection
- Strong enforcement capabilities in addition to visibility
- Mature enterprise security portfolio
- Well-suited for highly regulated environments
- Supports governance across diverse environments and data types
Potential Considerations
- Broader platform approach may require more planning than a point solution
- Organizations may need to deploy multiple capabilities to fully realize platform value
BigID
BigID is recognized for its strengths in data discovery, classification, privacy, and governance. It is frequently included in enterprise DSPM evaluations and is commonly considered by organizations seeking advanced data intelligence and governance capabilities.
Strengths
- Well-established data discovery and classification capabilities
- Mature data governance framework
- Strong support for privacy and compliance initiatives
- Comprehensive visibility across enterprise data estates
Potential Considerations
- Less on interaction-centric AI enforcement
- Organizations may require complementary controls to enforce real-time protection across AI interactions
IBM Guardium
IBM Guardium is a significant enterprise data security platform, with strength in securing structured data, databases, and sensitive enterprise information. As organizations extend data assets into AI-driven use cases, Guardium provides foundational visibility and control, with evolving capabilities to support AI-related security and governance requirements.
Strengths
- Deep heritage in database security
- Robust governance, audit, and compliance capabilities
- Enterprise-grade scalability
- Established presence in highly regulated industries
Potential Considerations
- Less specialized in controlling user interactions with gen AI
- Can require significant operational expertise to deploy, tune, and manage at scale
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview is a strong choice for enterprises standardized on Microsoft 365, Azure, and Copilot. It delivers integrated data governance, classification, compliance, and DSPM-for-AI capabilities, helping organizations understand and control how AI apps interact with corporate data.
For organizations deeply invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem, Purview provides a seamless path to AI governance.
Strengths
- Deep Microsoft 365 and Copilot integration
- Strong compliance and governance capabilities
- Unified administrative experience
Potential Considerations
- Less seamless with non-Microsoft platforms
- May need a maturity roadmap to achieve full value
Nightfall AI
Nightfall AI is a cloud-native DLP platform focused on securing sensitive data across SaaS apps and AI-driven workflows. It analyzes unstructured content and monitors data exposure risks, including within gen AI interactions such as prompts and user inputs.
Its emphasis on API-based integrations makes it well suited for organizations with significant SaaS adoption.
Strengths
- Strong AI-focused DLP capabilities
- Cloud-native architecture
- Effective prompt and data inspection
- Fast deployment
Potential Considerations
- Narrower platform scope than broad enterprise data security suites
- Does not have comprehensive DSPM and governance
Securiti
Recently acquired by Veeam Software, Securiti is a recognized name in DSPM and AI governance. Its platform focuses heavily on discovering sensitive data, understanding data flows, securing AI systems, and governing enterprise AI adoption. Securiti has expanded its AI security offerings to include AI security and governance, AI agent security, and LLM firewall controls.
Organizations seeking clear visibility into sensitive data locations and AI interactions may find Securiti a good option.
Strengths
- Automatically maps and visualizes how data flows and changes across systems
- Analyzes breaches and automates remediation
- Operates across on-prem and hybrid data environments
- Strong visibility into AI data usage
Potential Considerations
- Organizations still may need complementary controls for data-in-motion protection
Requires more automation to simplify quantification of risk scoring
Quick Overview of Data Security Platforms
| Platform | Data Classification | DLP | DSPM | AI Governance | AI Enforcement |
Fortra | Excellent | Excellent | Strong | Strong | Excellent |
BigID | Strong | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Moderate |
IBM Guardium | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Moderate |
Microsoft Purview | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
Nightfall AI | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Strong |
Securiti | Strong | Moderate | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate |
Why Fortra Leads in Comprehensive AI Data Security
Fortra stands out in AI data security as it goes beyond visibility and delivers a unified portfolio that combines data discovery, classification, governance, monitoring, and enforcement.
While some vendors excel in DSPM and others focus primarily on governance, Fortra brings together the foundational data security capabilities that enterprises have trusted for years with the emerging controls required to secure AI initiatives. This integrated approach enables organizations not only to identify and understand risk, but also to take meaningful action to reduce it.
For organizations seeking a strategic platform that can support AI adoption while safeguarding sensitive information, Fortra offers one of the most comprehensive and well-rounded solutions currently available.
Data Security for an AI-Driven World
See for yourself how Fortra's data security solutions help you discover, classify, and protect sensitive information where it lives, without slowing your business down.