In today’s dynamic and interconnected digital landscape, organizations face an ever-growing challenge in managing their data and ensuring comprehensive security and compliance. The rapid shift to remote and hybrid work has accelerated the need for robust data governance and protection strategies, as sensitive information is now dispersed across various cloud services, devices, and platforms.
Enter Microsoft Purview, a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to empower businesses in governing, protecting, and managing their entire data estate. Combining the powerful capabilities of the former Azure Purview and the Microsoft 365 Compliance portfolio, Microsoft Purview offers a unified approach to data governance and risk management, helping organizations navigate the complexities of the modern workplace.
Microsoft 365 Environment
At the heart of many organizations’ digital ecosystems lies the Microsoft 365 suite, providing a seamless integration of productivity, collaboration, and communication tools. However, with the growing volume and variety of data generated within this environment, the need for effective data retention, governance, and lifecycle management has become increasingly crucial.
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview is the solution that empowers organizations to govern, protect, and manage their data across the entire Microsoft 365 landscape. This comprehensive platform combines a range of powerful capabilities to address the evolving data challenges faced by businesses.
Data Retention
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management (formerly Microsoft Information Governance) and Microsoft Purview Records Management provide organizations with the tools and capabilities to retain the content that needs to be kept and delete the content that is no longer required. By leveraging retention policies, retention labels, and retention label policies, businesses can enforce retention and deletion settings to meet compliance and data regulatory requirements.
Retention policies can be applied at the organization-wide, location-wide, or include/exclude levels, with specific licensing requirements depending on the policy’s scope and the content locations involved (e.g., Exchange mailboxes, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams).
Governance
Microsoft Purview Data Governance solutions offer a unified platform for managing data services across on-premises, multi-cloud, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environments. This includes governance and security for Azure storage services, Power BI, databases, file services, and more.
The Microsoft Purview Unified Catalog (formerly the Microsoft Purview Data Catalog) provides a centralized hub for discovering, understanding, and governing your organization’s data assets, empowering users to make informed decisions and mitigate risks.
Lifecycle Management
Microsoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management and Microsoft Purview Records Management work hand-in-hand to manage the lifecycle of information within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Organizations can classify and govern data at scale based on file properties, the presence of sensitive data, or machine learning-powered insights. This helps ensure that data is retained for the necessary duration and disposed of securely when it no longer serves a business purpose, reducing risk and liability.
Data Compliance
In today’s highly regulated business environment, organizations must navigate a complex web of compliance requirements. Microsoft Purview offers a robust set of solutions to help businesses meet their legal, regulatory, and industry-specific data obligations.
Regulatory Requirements
The Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal provides a centralized hub for managing compliance-related activities, such as risk assessments, policy management, and reporting. This platform helps organizations stay up-to-date with evolving regulations, demonstrating their commitment to data protection and privacy.
Risk Mitigation
Microsoft Purview Information Protection solutions, including sensitivity labeling, data loss prevention (DLP), and double key encryption, empower organizations to discover, classify, and protect sensitive information across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. By proactively identifying and securing critical data, businesses can mitigate the risk of data breaches, unauthorized access, and compliance violations.
Security Considerations
Alongside data governance and compliance, Microsoft Purview integrates seamlessly with Microsoft’s comprehensive security offerings to provide a holistic approach to safeguarding the Microsoft 365 environment.
Identity and Access Management
Microsoft Entra Identity Governance (formerly Azure Active Directory Premium) enables organizations to balance security and employee productivity by ensuring the right people have the right access to the right resources. This includes capabilities such as entitlement management, access reviews, and privileged identity management.
Threat Protection
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (formerly Cloud App Security) and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (formerly Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection) help protect against sophisticated cyber threats, such as phishing, zero-day malware, and suspicious user activities. These solutions leverage advanced threat intelligence and machine learning to identify and mitigate risks in real-time.
IT Lifecycle Management
Beyond data governance and security, Microsoft Purview also supports the overall IT lifecycle management within the Microsoft 365 environment, ensuring seamless change management and continuous monitoring.
Change Management
Microsoft Purview Change Management solutions, such as the Microsoft Purview Audit Service, provide detailed visibility into configuration changes, user activities, and other events across the Microsoft 365 landscape. This empowers IT teams to proactively identify and address potential issues, maintain compliance, and ensure the smooth operation of the environment.
Monitoring and Reporting
The Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal and associated reporting capabilities enable organizations to monitor the health and performance of their Microsoft 365 environment, identify areas for improvement, and generate comprehensive compliance reports for internal and external stakeholders.
By integrating these holistic capabilities, Microsoft Purview empowers organizations to govern, protect, and manage their data with confidence, ensuring compliance, mitigating risks, and optimizing the overall IT lifecycle within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Whether you’re an IT consultant, a security professional, or a compliance officer, Microsoft Purview provides the robust tools and insights needed to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace and safeguard your organization’s valuable data. So why not take the first step towards a more secure and compliant Microsoft 365 environment? Explore the Microsoft Purview suite and unlock the power of unified data governance and risk management today.
