Three Main Data Security Takeaways From RSAC 2023

RSAC 2023 was a highly eventful week, and I’m excited to share some of my thoughts with you on product management, healthy competition, and the DSPM market. 

1. Healthy competition, key for proper market education  

When I joined Flow a year and a half ago, we were the first and only company to offer the capability to classify and analyze sensitive data in motion. We worked hard to educate the market on the benefits of this approach for data security. It was challenging to be the lone voice in a sea of data-scanning solutions. We believed that data scanning was important, but not enough. 

At this year’s RSAC, I noticed that other data security vendors introduced their own “data flow” analysis capabilities to their solutions. While our customers and the value we provide are the main testaments to our leading approach, it was satisfying to see the impact we had made on our competitors. Healthy competition is key to educating a new market.

Take-away: In a competitive landscape where claims start to be similar between one vendor to another, If you are deciding which type of solution you need, research the vendor’s approach and whether it’s one that suits you, how the vendor does it, how transparent the vendor is in regards to their approach and implementation y are, and last but not least, test what are the marketing claims vs. reality.

2. The importance of product-led GTM 

From the start, 50% of my work has been collaborating with sales to drive our POVs and the sales pipeline. It has taught me about our customers’ pains, why they choose us at the beginning, what real value looks like (proof of value – not proof of concept), and what can be a killer differentiator when we go head-to-head with other vendors. 

At RSA, it was clear that being close to the market and the industry can make a significant impact. Speaking with prospects in one-on-one meetings and chatting about pain points in our booth was eye-opening.

Take-away: When doing your market research on new products, I suggest going with a vendor who places the product a high priority in their GTM. Look for those where the product leader is on calls, taking an active role in the sales process and actively taking part in your POVs. Usually it is a testimony for the company being driven by value.

3. DSPM is here to stay, and grow

The introduction of DSPMs to the security industry by Gartner a year ago was the first step toward a genuine revolution in the data security market. The evolution of the DSPM market will be accelerated by the consolidation trend and the fact that current data security products are simply not enough for the new-old pain in this space.

At RSAC I witnessed first hand the growing pains in the market, as pointed out repeatedly by prospects, vendors, and security investors.

Take-away: When debating whether to revisit your data security controls and products, consider companies that have broad vision and that are building comprehensive solutions, vs. small features.  

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Flow is proud to lead the DSPM category with our innovative solutions and to drive the industry forward with the right approach. I’m excited to see what the upcoming year will bring to this category and how different vendors in the market will evolve. The data security market is evolving constantly at a rapid pace which creates great opportunities both for vendors and end-users