Managing risk in a financial services environment depends on understanding where data exists, how it moves, and how it is protected. At Axos Bank, that visibility plays a central role in how the security team approaches risk mitigation and decision making.
To explore how data security connects to managing risk, Cameron Galbraith, Vice President of Product Marketing at Cyberhaven, sat down with Raghu Valipireddy, Chief Information Security Officer at Axos Bank. In their conversation, Valipireddy shares how visibility into data helps the security team move beyond broad controls and why Cyberhaven DSPM sits at the foundation of effective security operations.
To learn more about this organization's use of Cyberhaven, see our full case study.
Galbraith
To start us off, can you tell us a little about your role and how you define success?
Valipireddy
In my role, success is defined by mitigation of risks. The risks could be in different shapes and forms coming towards the business. At the end of the day, we are successful as a business only when we can protect our sales enterprise from all of those risks.
Galbraith
How closely tied are those risks to data?
Valipireddy
Every one of those risks is somewhat connected with data that we handle internally or the data we handle for our customers. As long as we are able to mitigate those risks, we are doing a good job of enabling the business to be successful.
Galbraith
Where does DSPM fit into that bigger picture?
Valipireddy
In my personal opinion, DSPM is at the top of the pyramid. As security professionals, we are doing a lot of things to protect our organizations using many different tools. But at the end of the day, we need full visibility into what data we have, what controls are being applied, and how confident we are that those protections address where data sits or where data is moving.
Galbraith
Why is that visibility so important?
Valipireddy
A lot of times when we apply controls, we apply them universally because we do not want to take a risk. More importantly, we do not know where the data could be. DSPM helps paint a picture of how all of these controls come together around real data.
Galbraith
How would you describe the role of DSPM overall?
Valipireddy
In my view, DSPM is like an ultimate solution that needs to paint a picture of how everything comes together. It gives confidence that protections are actually addressing the data that matters.
Where Data Visibility Meets Risk Management
For Valipireddy, effective security starts with understanding data and the risks tied to it. Without clear visibility into where data exists and how it is accessed, security teams are often forced to rely on broad controls that limit efficiency and confidence.
DSPM plays a central role in changing that dynamic by helping Axos Bank connect security controls directly to real data usage and movement. This visibility allows the team to make more informed decisions and apply protections with purpose rather than assumption.
"In my personal opinion, DSPM is at the top of the pyramid," Valipireddy said.
Learn how Cyberhaven helps enterprises across the globe reduce data risk and improve their security posture.
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