Snowflake just announced support for Autotagging, building on its previous feature for sensitive data classification: Snowflake Autotagging Documentation. This new capability helps organizations identify sensitive data in their databases and automatically apply tags that can be used for enforcing policies. 

On the surface, it sounds like a game-changer—and it is a helpful feature. But here’s the critical question: If Snowflake is adding these native features, why would you still need a Data Security platform? 

Because data classification and tagging are just the beginning. True data security—especially in the cloud—is about much more than simply applying policy tags. It’s about visibility, control, real-time monitoring, governance at scale, and actionable intelligence 

Here’s what you need to know: 

Unified Data Visibility Across Multiple Platforms 

Let’s be honest— few organizations have just one team doing all of their data engineering, data analytics and data science in one Cloud Data Platform or account. Teams are often spread across multiple Snowflake accounts, cloud regions, or even entirely different platforms like Databricks, BigQuery, or Redshift. Data security that only works within a single account or service just isn’t enough. 

A platform like ALTR provides centralized visibility into all your cloud data assets, regardless of where they reside. This makes a significant difference in managing modern data ecosystems. 

With ALTR, organizations can: 

Streamline Data Governance

Centralize and simplify the creation and enforcement of access policies. Apply consistent rules regardless of platform, account, or business unit—without needing to manually configure each environment. 

Enhance Compliance

Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, and PCI DSS require companies to know where sensitive data lives and how it’s being accessed. ALTR helps maintain a real-time inventory of sensitive data across platforms, making it easier to meet compliance obligations. 

Improve Operational Efficiency

Teams no longer need to log into multiple systems to monitor or enforce security. Unified visibility reduces the time spent on administration and minimizes the risk of configuration drift between environments. 

Advanced Database Activity Monitoring 

Identifying what data is sensitive—through tagging or classification—is only step one. But knowing where that data is and how it should be protected doesn’t help much if you can’t see who’s accessing it, when, how often, and why. 

That’s where Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) becomes essential. 

Tagging answers the “what,” but DAM answers the “how”, “when” and “who”—crucial for detecting misuse, abuse, or policy violations. 

ALTR brings this visibility to life by offering: 

Real-Time Analytics

Track every data request as it happens—not hours later. Relying solely on Snowflake’s native logs may introduce delays, limiting your ability to react to breaches or anomalies in time. 

Automated Alerts

Security teams can be immediately notified when someone attempts to run a suspicious query—such as trying to extract an unusual volume of PII or hitting sensitive tables outside normal business hours. 

Proactive Blocking

You’re not just watching threats—you’re stopping them. ALTR allows organizations to define thresholds or risk criteria that automatically block access to data when conditions are met. That’s critical for preventing breaches, not just detecting them after the fact. 

Actionable Intelligence for Informed Decision-Making 

Data security tools shouldn’t just stop threats—they should help optimize your security posture over time. ALTR enables smarter decision-making by turning monitoring data into insights: 

Integrating with Data Catalogs

ALTR doesn’t replace your data catalog—it enhances it. By integrating with tools like Collibra or Alation, ALTR helps you define granular policies using your existing metadata structures. That means faster deployments and more relevant rules. 

Offering Dynamic Data Masking

Sensitive data doesn’t always need to be blocked outright. Sometimes, the right approach is real-time data masking, which lets users access data without exposing private or regulated fields. ALTR applies this at query time—so security doesn’t impact performance or workflow. 

Providing Comprehensive Audit Logs

ALTR logs every policy enforcement, every query, every blocked or allowed access event. This full audit trail is invaluable during compliance reviews, regulatory audits, or forensic investigations. 

Wrapping Up 

As organizations navigate the complexities of data security in cloud environments, solutions like ALTR offer more than just data classification. By providing unified visibility, advanced monitoring, and actionable insights, ALTR empowers businesses to protect their data assets effectively and confidently harness the full potential of cloud data platforms.