Netskope unveils data lineage tool to support AI compliance

Netskope has introduced Netskope One Data Lineage, a new capability designed to provide organisations with greater visibility into how data is created, moved, and used across digital environments. The tool is intended to help companies track the origin and movement of information, supporting compliance requirements, internal investigations, and data governance as artificial intelligence adoption increases.

The new feature forms part of the expanding Netskope One platform and aims to provide a verifiable audit trail for sensitive data, regardless of where it is stored or how it is accessed. As organisations increasingly rely on AI systems, the ability to understand and document data flows has become central to managing regulatory obligations and security risks.

Effective AI deployment depends on strong data governance and reliable records of data activity. However, many existing security tools, including traditional data loss prevention systems, struggle to correlate information across multiple platforms, users, and workflows. This can limit organisations’ ability to identify risks and respond to potential misuse.

Netskope One Data Lineage builds on the company’s existing data security framework by allowing security teams to monitor and visualise the movement of sensitive information throughout an organisation. It provides insight into how data originates, changes, and is shared, including instances where it is extracted, reformatted, or incorporated into new files. Policy controls are designed to remain associated with data as it moves between systems and formats, helping organisations maintain consistent oversight.

The system is intended to support detailed reviews of data activity following incidents such as unauthorised access or data leakage. It can also assist in identifying unusual user behaviour that may indicate insider threats, while enabling IT and security teams to adjust access policies based on historical patterns of data use.

Krishna Narayanaswamy, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Netskope, said organisations require a comprehensive understanding of how data moves across their digital environments, along with mechanisms to prevent unauthorised use and demonstrate compliance with data protection regulations. He noted that these requirements have become more pressing with the wider adoption of AI tools and agents.

Jennifer Glenn, Research Director at IDC’s Security and Trust Group, said that growing volumes of sensitive data are being generated and shared across organisations. She added that strong governance and verifiable audit trails can help ensure that only authorised users and devices have access to critical information, providing a reliable foundation for AI-driven applications.

Netskope said Data Lineage is currently available to customers in preview form, with general availability expected in the first half of 2026.