Last issue I flagged AI governance as the #1 signal across the network. Two weeks later, it's still there. But the second wave just hit.
Data protection is now the #2 theme. DLP, DSPM, data classification, shadow AI visibility. Ten of the 46 signals this period reference AI directly. But another cluster, nearly as large, is about protecting data from AI.
"We are migrating from on-prem to multi-cloud and lack visibility across our cloud, SaaS and AI workloads. I am looking for a DSPM vendor to do proactive discovery and classification of regulated and enterprise critical data."
"I am looking at a data security project. I'm looking for a solution to improve visibility into SaaS and AI workloads in a healthcare environment."
"I am working on a DLP initiative to improve network visibility. Curious to hear what your solution does and determine if it fits into my requirements."
This isn't abstract interest. These are active projects with budgets forming behind them. Two months ago, identity was the #2 signal. Now data protection has passed it, and it's accelerating.
Most vendors don't hear about these projects until the RFP drops. By then, the shortlist is already set.
Who entered the network
These leaders joined or submitted new meeting requests in the last two weeks. They're actively requesting vendor conversations now.
Chief Information Security Officer, Clayton Homes ($12.4B revenue, 5,300 employees)
Director of IT Support & Services, The Wendy's Company ($2.2B, 72,000 employees)
VP of Cybersecurity and Cloud Services, CAI ($1.8B, 8,500 employees)
Information Security Leader, Capital Group (Fortune 500 financial services)
Product Security Head for Payments Security, Capital One Financial
SVP and Divisional Chief Information Officer, Lincoln Financial Group ($6.2B)
Chief Data Officer, Commonwealth Financial Network
VP of IT Americas, Samsonite
Senior Manager of Data Engineering, Centene Corporation ($50B+ healthcare)
Chief Technology Officer, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division
Director of Program Management, Comcast
Director of Technology Development, AT&T
Members typically take 2-3 vendor meetings per quarter. Once they've had them, the window closes.
What they're actively working on
Standing up an internal DLP program from scratch. Needs vendor options for a global software company.
DSPM vendor evaluation to cover cloud, SaaS, and AI workload visibility during a multi-cloud migration.
Shadow AI governance. No visibility into what employees are doing with AI. Needs tracking and controls immediately.
Replacing current MDR system. Bidding out to new providers at a hospitality company.
AI governance program launch at a telecom company. Starting from zero.
Data migration to Databricks. Exploring complementary tooling for a healthcare system.
Agentic AI workflows. ERP and Salesforce APIs just unlocked. Evaluating Platform-as-a-Service for a manufacturer.
Microsoft licensing optimization. New VP inherited high Snowflake spend with no controls, now reviewing the full stack.
Endpoint compliance and management. Evaluating new solutions at a regional bank.
CMMC 2.0 compliance tooling for mission IT infrastructure at a federal research organization.
How fast this moves
One of the questions vendors ask us most: "How quickly do I get meetings?"
This month, a new partner launched their campaign and had their first qualified meeting scheduled within 8 days. Not a cold lead. A director-level IT buyer who answered a qualification question confirming the project was active.
The numbers hold up over time: 78% of meetings advance to a next step. 22% convert to qualified pipeline. Members rate meetings 8.2 out of 10 on average. When both sides rate a meeting 8+, the close rate climbs even higher.
These 46 signals came from IT leaders who are actively requesting vendor meetings. Not downloading whitepapers or attending webinars.
You can't cold-call a CISO at a $12.4B company and get 30 minutes. You can't buy a list that tells you a Product Security Head at a top-10 bank is standing up a DLP initiative right now. But these leaders are in the network, they told us what they need, and most of them will have a shortlist inside 60 days.
If you want to be on it before the RFP drops, reply and let's talk.