2026 Gartner® Buyer's Guide for Data Security Posture Management

A crowded vendor landscape, inconsistent capabilities, and steep upfront costs make choosing the right DSPM platform harder than ever. In our view, this Gartner Buyer's Guide gives security leaders a disciplined, six-step framework to evaluate, select, and prove the value of DSPM.

Our key takeaways in the report:

• A six-step evaluation framework: from establishing cross-functional requirements to validating capabilities through a real-world proof of concept

• The KPIs that prove DSPM value: sensitive-data coverage, risk reduction, expired-data cleanup, compliance posture, and least-privilege enforcement

• Common pitfalls to avoid: including alert fatigue, scan performance blind spots, and vendor architecture risks

A practical playbook for any security team building the business case for DSPM.

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Source: Gartner, “Buyer's Guide for Data Security Posture Management,” Jaimie Anderson, 29 May 2026. GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

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