The Swiss Army Knife of Data Security

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At the 3 Tree Tech Stealth Cybersecurity Experience in Chicago, cybersecurity expert Anthony Cunha shed light on one of the most pressing issues organizations face today: managing and securing vast amounts of data. Drawing from his experience with Cyera, a Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform, Cunha outlined how companies can effectively navigate the complex data security landscape. He emphasized that with Cyera, organizations can finally find relief from the operational headaches associated with data security, offering a profound sense of reassurance in the face of these challenges.

The Data Dilemma

Organizations today are handling an overwhelming amount of structured and unstructured data. Additionaly, data accumulates rapidly from customer information to internal communications, and much of it isn’t properly tracked or secured. Unstructured data, such as old emails, flat files, or cloud storage remnants, often slip through the cracks of traditional monitoring systems, leaving dangerous blind spots in security.

A significant challenge organizations face is the reliance on outdated tools that require resource-intensive agents or cause system slowdowns. These tools impact performance and increase the workload for IT teams, adding unnecessary complexity.

Cunha highlighted how Cyera offers a solution to these problems with its agentless, out-of-band architecture, which ensures production systems are not disrupted. This allows businesses to monitor and secure data without compromising performance.

Hidden Risks in Legacy Systems

Another challenge is securing legacy systems that are often overlooked or hard to integrate into modern security frameworks. These systems may store sensitive information but frequently lack the comprehensive documentation needed to assess and address vulnerabilities properly. Unstructured data stored across older systems further complicates security efforts, as much of it remains unclassified and unmonitored.

Cunha explained how Cyera helps by bringing visibility to these hidden areas. Its ability to find and classify unstructured data, whether in legacy systems or across SaaS platforms, ensures that even forgotten data is accounted for. This visibility closes security gaps that would otherwise go unnoticed, reducing the risk of breaches.

The Burden of Compliance

One of organizations’ most significant pain points is keeping up with evolving regulatory requirements like PCI DSS, GDPR, and CCPA. As data grows, so do compliance obligations, which increases costs and adds complexity to security operations. The more data an organization manages, the more it needs to document, protect, and report on—leading to expanded compliance footprints and more frequent audits.

Cunha emphasized that simplifying compliance doesn’t have to mean cutting corners. Cyera, for example, enables organizations to reduce their compliance scope by automatically identifying and isolating high-risk data, thus minimizing the amount of information subject to heavy regulatory scrutiny. This keeps costs down and makes the auditing process more manageable. This approach significantly reduces the burden of meeting regulatory standards for industries like financial services, where compliance is non-negotiable.

Sexy Reporting: Data That Speaks Your Exec’s Language

Once the compliance burden is streamlined, it’s crucial to communicate that progress effectively to the C-suite. This is where Cyera’s “sexy reporting” comes in. Cunha emphasized that while traditional security reports can be dry and overwhelming, Cyera turns raw data into visually appealing, clear reports that executives can quickly grasp. Instead of complex spreadsheets and hard-to-parse metrics, Cyera provides visual representations of the security landscape. These reports not only make it easier for leadership to understand the current risk and compliance status, but they also facilitate more innovative, faster decision-making.

The Solution: Visibility and Control Without the Complexity

Ultimately, the fundamental issue many businesses face isn’t a lack of tools but a lack of clear visibility and control over their data. Securing that data becomes an almost impossible task without knowing exactly where it resides and who has access to it. Cyera provides a way to regain that control without adding unnecessary complexity.

By offering a holistic view of both structured and unstructured data, Cyera helps organizations quickly classify and protect information across all systems. This level of insight is critical, especially for IT teams dealing with limited resources. The platform’s simplicity makes it easier for businesses to manage their data security posture, instilling confidence to handle these challenges without needing a profound technical overhaul or specialized expertise.

Tackling Legacy Systems and Unstructured Data

Legacy systems don’t have to remain a vulnerability. Organizations can integrate older technology into their modern security strategy with the right solution without significant disruptions. Cyera’s seamless integration process and ability to track down hidden data and apply consistent security policies across platforms instill a sense of hope, helping businesses bring these outdated systems up to standard.

Moreover, unstructured data—the kind that’s hard to track but still critical to protect—can be easily identified and classified, allowing IT teams to address risks they didn’t even know existed. This capability enables organizations to maintain security across all data, not just the easily accessible or apparent sources.

Compliance: Simplified and Streamlined

Rather than expanding compliance obligations as data grows, organizations can adopt a strategy that narrows their compliance footprint. Cyera’s platform helps by automatically identifying sensitive data that fall under specific regulations, reducing the need for businesses to sort through mountains of information manually.

By shrinking the compliance footprint, companies can reduce operational costs and stay on top of audits without scrambling to meet every new regulatory demand. Cyera’s approach ensures that businesses remain compliant while focusing their resources on securing the most critical assets.

A Path Forward

As organizations face increasing pressure to secure vast amounts of data, they need solutions that provide clarity and control without adding operational complexity. Anthony Cunha’s experience shows that platforms like Cyera offer this balance by focusing on visibility and simplicity—without the need for intrusive agents or system slowdowns.

Addressing the core challenges of legacy systems, unstructured data, and regulatory compliance requires a shift in how businesses approach data security. Solutions that provide comprehensive visibility and ease of management, like Cyera, allow organizations to stay ahead of risks and protect their data more effectively.

Ready for the Next Steps?

As the data security landscape continues to evolve, having the right strategy in place is essential. 3 Tree Tech can help you navigate these complexities and find the tools that fit your organization’s unique needs. Whether dealing with legacy systems, managing compliance, or securing unstructured data, our expertise can guide you toward a more secure and manageable future. Contact us today to explore how we can tailor data security solutions for your business, ensuring you’re prepared for whatever comes next.

Anthony Cunha is a cybersecurity expert with over a decade of experience. He owns Cibernetica Security Services, providing InfoSec solutions, auditing, training, and consulting. His specialties include Supplier Risk Management, IT Security Policies, Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), and Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC).

As a Customer Advisory Board Member at Cyera, Anthony advises on data security challenges and innovations. He has held leadership roles such as Chief Information Security Officer at Mercury Financial and Senior Network Engineer at Nutanix, focusing on risk management and security operations.

Anthony is known for engaging presentations and media interviews, simplifying complex cybersecurity concepts for diverse audiences.