Proofpoint DSPM vs. Varonis for Microsoft 365 and Copilot: better accuracy, lower cost, faster time to value

As organizations adopt Microsoft  Copilot and other generative AI (GenAI) tools, data is spreading faster than ever. Using GenAI, sensitive data can be rapidly accessed, summarized, transformed, and shared. But while GenAI tools unlock productivity, they also expose serious gaps in legacy data security platforms—especially those designed for on-premises environments. 

These gaps are particularly serious for organizations still using Varonis’ on-premises platform. That product reaches end-of-life on December 31, 2026. Customers must move to Varonis SaaS, re-scan all Microsoft 365 and on-premises data and take on higher costs. Many make this move without gaining clearer visibility of data exposure from Copilot or other AI tools. 

Because of this, many organizations are replacing Varonis with Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management (DSPM). Proofpoint DSPM is a cloud-native solution built to secure Microsoft 365, Copilot and AI-ready data. It does this with greater accuracy, lower overhead, and faster return on investment (ROI). 

Why Microsoft 365 and Copilot require a new data security approach 

Copilot and other GenAI tools increase data risk by: 

• Accessing content across SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Exchange and third-party software as a service (SaaS) platforms 
• Increasing the impact of excessive permissions and oversharing 
• Creating new insider and AI misuse risks that traditional file scanning can’t detect 

Traditional, pattern-based tools struggle with these dynamics. They produce many false positives and miss real risk tied to access and usage. 

Proofpoint DSPM delivers accurate data classification for Microsoft 365 and Copilot 

Strong Copilot security starts with accurate data discovery and classification across Microsoft 365 (M365). 

Varonis customers often report: 

• High false positive rates from pattern-based classifiers 
• Manual classifier tuning that can’t keep up with data growth 
• Slow scans that delay Copilot risk assessment 
• Add-on licensing for SaaS and cloud coverage 

Proofpoint DSPM removes these limits with AI-driven classification built for M365 and AI data access: 

• Autonomous custom classifiers identify business-critical data across SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange with over 95% accuracy 
• AI-powered verification reduces Personally Identifiable Information (PII) false positives by up to 99%, reducing alert fatigue 
• Monetary value scoring shows the business impact of exposed data 
• Real-time risk prioritization highlights exposed high-value data instantly 

This accuracy helps organizations enable Copilot with confidence while reducing analyst effort. 

Unified data security for M365, Copilot and GenAI 

Securing M365 and safely enabling Copilot requires more than knowing where data lives. Security teams must also see how data is accessed, shared, and potentially exfiltrated by both users and AI. 

Varonis falls short for M365 and Copilot security because it: 

• Focuses on access controls, with weaker cross-channel data loss prevention (DLP) and exfiltration protection 
• Lacks a single console for posture, insider risk, and DLP 
• Provides fragmented experiences across SaaS (Varonis SaaS) and cloud services (DatAdvantage Cloud) 
• Doesn’t use a single policy engine across M365, endpoints, email, and cloud apps 

Proofpoint takes a unified approach. It combines DSPM, Enterprise DLP, AI Data Governance, and Insider Threat Management in one cloud-native platform aligned to Copilot risk. 

With Proofpoint, organizations gain: 

• Unified protection against data exposure and loss, insider risk, and AI misuse 
• Consistent data detection for both human and AI interactions with M365 content 
• A unified Data Risk Map showing Copilot-accessible sensitive data 
• One policy engine across email, endpoint, SaaS, cloud, and on-premises systems 
• One console for posture, investigation, and remediation 
• Unified risk scoring across users, data, and AI activity 

This unified approach secures Copilot without slowing adoption. 

Faster time to value than Varonis 

Organizations evaluating DSPM solutions for M365 and Copilot need fast results, especially as Varonis end of life approaches. 

Proofpoint delivers fast time to value through: 

• One DSPM SKU with no hidden add-ons 
• Predictable pricing for M365, SaaS, and cloud data 
• Agentless, in-place scanning that classifies petabytes of M365 data in days, not weeks 
• Immediate coverage for SaaS, platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and on-premises data stores 
• One console for human- and AI-centric data security 

Organizations moving from Varonis to Proofpoint gain: 

• Immediate visibility into Copilot-accessible data 
• No infrastructure to deploy or maintain 
• Faster onboarding, with actionable insights in days 
• Lower administrative effort 
• Faster ROI through simpler operation 

By comparison, Varonis deployments often involve complex connectors, higher SaaS costs, and slower onboarding. 

Proofpoint: the stronger alternative to Varonis for M365 and Copilot security 

As Copilot adoption accelerates, organizations need AI-ready data security—not legacy tools adapted for the cloud. 

Proofpoint provides: 

• Higher classification accuracy with less noise 
• Unified DSPM, DLP, AI Data Governance and Insider Threat Management 
• Faster deployment and lower total cost 
• Clear visibility into Copilot and GenAI data risk 

For organizations that want to secure M365 and enable Copilot safely, Proofpoint is a modern, unified, and more cost-effective choice than Varonis. 

Learn more 

To learn how Proofpoint DSPM  reduces data risk and operational complexity while preparing organizations for safe AI adoption, download the Technical Validation report by Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), Continuously Strengthen Your Data Security Posture with Proofpoint DSPM.