Forcepoint announced major enhancements to its AI-native Data Security Cloud platform, led by ARIA, the embedded Adaptive Risk Intelligence Assistant that uses natural language to create enforcement policies and accelerate incident response across AI-driven workflows. The company also updated its Global Partner Programme, aligning incentives and enablement around Data Security Cloud to help partners deploy and scale modern data security for end-users. Together, these innovations advance Forcepoint’s Self-Aware Data Security approach that knows threats as they form, adapts policies and risk scoring in real time and enforces controls wherever data flows.
A recent World Economic Forum report found that 66 percent of organisations say AI will have the most significant impact on cybersecurity in the next year, yet most lack formal processes to assess AI risk. As AI reshapes how sensitive information is created, transformed and shared at machine speed across cloud platforms, collaboration tools and AI-driven workflows, this always-on data evolves long after creation, widening the gap between visibility and control.
Today’s Data Security Cloud updates address this gap with AI-aware automation, on-device web intelligence and a redesigned partner programme that brings Self-Aware Data Security to market at scale. Rather than relying on static policies or routing traffic through a remote proxy before responding, Forcepoint adapts enforcement in real time, closing the distance between detection and action to keep up with how modern workforces leverage AI tools.
Data Security Cloud unifies DSPM, DLP Cloud, Data Detection and Response (DDR), Web and Email security, CASB, RBI, advanced forensics and risk-adaptive protection under a single-policy framework, extending from endpoint to cloud. The platform eliminates multiple point products, making Self-Aware Data Security a practical, day-to-day reality.
“AI has made data a living, breathing thing, permanently changing how information ripples through organisations and demanding true visibility and control that moves just as fast,” said Ryan Windham, CEO of Forcepoint. “By embedding ARIA directly into Data Security Cloud, we’re helping security teams respond faster to emerging threats and strengthen adaptive protection across modern environments. Our enhanced partner ecosystem is how we bring Self-Aware Data Security to life at scale.”
“We have data everywhere — in the cloud, on prem, across 140,000 students in 70 countries. AI, modernisation and data sprawl are all interlinked, and if we wait to see what challenges AI brings, we’re behind,” said Brian Johnson, Director of IT Security at Liberty University. “Before Forcepoint, I had multiple platforms and limited line of sight across them. Data Security Cloud gives us unified visibility and control at scale and simplifies my job.”
Data security cloud delivers AI-aware protection at the speed of data creation
The enhancements extend protection to follow sensitive information everywhere, across AI pipelines, analytics platforms and collaboration tools. By unifying discovery, classification, prioritisation and enforcement in one continuous loop, Forcepoint enables organisations to move toward Self-Aware Data Security — gaining clarity and confidence to tame data sprawl, safely enable GenAI, contain insider risk and simplify compliance. Key innovations include:
Forcepoint Adaptive Risk Intelligence Assistant (ARIA). Embedded in Data Security Cloud, ARIA understands risk across the platform, identifying gaps such as newly adopted copilots without policy coverage, and generates recommended policies in seconds with clear rationale for administrator review. Teams can quickly create or update policies and deploy them across channels from a single interface, reducing time-to-value and policy expertise requirements. ARIA also streamlines incident response by integrating with existing tools like ServiceNow and Slack, while continuously delivering risk insights powered by Forcepoint’s AI Mesh, which discovers and classifies billions of structured and unstructured data elements.
Next-generation Data Security Everywhere agent. The new agent brings adaptive protection and web intelligence directly to the endpoint, inspecting and protecting data on devices, without forcing traffic through a traditional proxy. It manages precise protection for sanctioned AI apps while blocking sensitive information from reaching unsanctioned AI tools and personal cloud storage. It combines adaptive enforcement, investigation, forensics and user-level awareness in a single agent that supports cloud and on-premises environments, allowing organisations to modernise without sacrificing protection.
Expanded coverage for modern analytics, cloud data lakehouses and AI-driven environments. Forcepoint extended structured data security to cloud data lakehouses such as Databricks and Snowflake, deepened integration with Google Workspace and broadened consistent protection across SaaS, hybrid, endpoint, web and email channels.
Global partner programme accelerates data security everywhere
Based on partner feedback, Forcepoint updated its Global Partner Programme to align incentives, enablement and deal structures around Data Security Cloud. The redesigned programme introduces a simplified three-tier structure with transparent requirements and clearly defined economic benefits at every level, including deal registration margins with no minimum thresholds and deal families aligned to data security use cases. Expanded enablement includes billable capability development to help partners differentiate as trusted data security advisors.
“Organisations are realising that fragmented security tools create gaps that adversaries exploit,” said Ian L. Paterson, CEO of Plurilock. “Forcepoint’s unified Data Security Cloud platform and updated partner programme align closely with Plurilock’s philosophy of delivering fewer tools, more security and measurable outcomes for our clients.”
Forcepoint will showcase Data Security Cloud enhancements at the AWARE Spring 2026 virtual event on March 4 and during RSA Conference, March 23–26. Both forums will feature real-world use cases and a closer look at the innovations announced today. Register to access on-demand AWARE content at forcepoint.com/aware. RSA attendees can request in-person meetings and demos.
To learn more about Forcepoint Data Security Cloud, read the announcement blog and visit the platform page. More details about the Global Partner Programme can be found on this blog and the partner page.
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