Published on: June 12, 2025
Introduction
With the rise of cloud adoption across organizations, securing cloud infrastructure and sensitive data has become critical. Two powerful technologies have emerged to address this challenge—Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) and Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). Though they sound similar, they focus on different aspects of cloud security. This blog post explains the key differences between DSPM and CSPM and helps you decide which is best suited for your needs.
What is CSPM (Cloud Security Posture Management)?
CSPM is a security technology that helps identify and fix misconfigurations and compliance risks in cloud infrastructure. It continuously monitors cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to ensure that best practices and security benchmarks are met.
Key Features of CSPM:
- Detects misconfigured cloud resources
- Ensures compliance with standards like CIS, GDPR, and HIPAA
- Provides remediation recommendations
- Monitors multi-cloud environments
What is DSPM (Data Security Posture Management)?
DSPM is a more recent technology that focuses on discovering, classifying, and securing sensitive data across cloud services. Unlike CSPM, which is infrastructure-centric, DSPM is data-centric—it helps organizations understand where their sensitive data is, how it’s being accessed, and whether it's exposed.
Key Features of DSPM:
- Discovers sensitive data across structured and unstructured sources
- Provides data classification and risk scoring
- Monitors data access and movement
- Detects data exposure and leakage
DSPM vs CSPM: A Comparison
| Aspect | CSPM | DSPM |
|---|---|---|
| Focus Area | Cloud infrastructure and configurations | Data discovery and protection |
| Visibility | Cloud services and resources | Sensitive data in cloud environments |
| Use Case | Compliance, misconfigurations, infrastructure security | Data privacy, risk analysis, data access control |
| Technology Maturity | Established with wide adoption | Emerging, gaining popularity |
Which One Should You Use?
If you're focused on securing your cloud setup from misconfigurations and ensuring regulatory compliance, CSPM is essential. However, if your priority is to protect sensitive customer or business data within those cloud platforms, DSPM becomes crucial.
Ideally, organizations should use both DSPM and CSPM in combination for a comprehensive cloud security strategy.
Conclusion
While CSPM secures the cloud infrastructure, DSPM secures the data within. Understanding the difference between the two can help organizations build a robust, layered cloud security posture. As data breaches become more frequent and complex, leveraging both technologies ensures better protection and compliance in the cloud era.
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