Why Teams Choose Cyberhavenover Nightfall & other SaaS DLPs

Cyberhaven is a modern, integrated, AI & data security platform that delivers holistic data protection across endpoint, browser, and SaaS. SaaS DLP tools, like Nightfall, that primarily deliver security using an agentless approach, cannot provide the breadth and depth in security needed today.

Established, Comprehensive Data Lineage

Cyberhaven tracks the full history of data, providing deep context that includes where data originated, how it moved, and who interacted with it. While other vendors may claim to have data lineage capabilities, most, if not all, have only recently adopted the concept. Consequently, they lack key capabilities that Cyberhaven provides, such as the ability to track data transformation and proliferation.

Coverage & Performance

Cyberhaven endpoint agents are stable and lightweight to ensure high performance and comprehensive coverage. Former customers of SaaS DLP solutions report poor performance and capabilities due in part to the recent release of these endpoint agents.

Holistic Data Security Platform

Cyberhaven provides a holistic solution that includes data loss prevention (DLP), data security posture management (DSPM), insider risk management (IRM), and AI security. SaaS DLP vendors address some but not all the areas as deeply as Cyberhaven.

Detailed Comparison

Feature Comparison

As of February 2026

Cyberhaven

Nightfall & other SaaS DLPs

Data Lineage

Tracks the full lifecycle of data, including origin, interactions, modifications, and derivative works.

Most other vendors weren’t built with data lineage in mind. Even when they do offer lineage capabilities, they often lack the depth, breadth, and maturity needed to deliver meaningful security outcomes.

Data Classification

Cyberhaven provides a holistic approach to data classification by combining proven traditional approaches (regex, dictionaries, EDM, OCR) with AI and data lineage that results in greater speed and accuracy.

SaaS DLP vendors often lead with AI classification but lack the depth in traditional methods. This can result in an approach that does not provide the depth and rigor organizations need.

Insider Risk Management

Strong focus on insider risks, including features like file and application activity monitoring, file capture, risk scoring, and in some contexts, logging deeper endpoint activities (e.g., screen recording or keystroke logging).

Insider threat prevention capabilities are often described as basic, with less emphasis on the deeper endpoint behavior analytics and monitoring features.

Robust Coverage

Broad coverage for managed endpoints (Windows, macOS, Linux), allowing for real-time control over all data movement via web uploads, email, removable storage, AirDrop, etc.

Coverage for endpoints is present for some vendors but may be lighter or less comprehensive, with some users noting a historical limitation to data-in-motion originating from a managed device.

Depth and breadth of Control

Ability to apply granular policy enforcement directly at the endpoint level, which can be critical for controlling sensitive data actions in a complex desktop environment.

Remediation is often enabled at the SaaS level via API calls. Without a strong presence on the endpoint, visibility and remediation lack depth and preventative action is limited.

Monitoring, Detection & Enforcement

Real-time detection and policy enforcement across Windows, Linux, and macOS. Policies sync in seconds.

Many SaaS DLP vendors do not have or may have only begun to introduce an agent-based solution. These solutions lack maturity in actual functionality and have reported stability and enforcement issues.