In the digital age, organizations rely heavily on data, not only to drive business decisions but also to maintain operations.
However, this reliance on data comes with significant risks, especially when sensitive information is stored without adequate protection. Often, companies are unaware of the extent of the sensitive data within their environments, leaving them vulnerable to breaches and compliance issues. To follow is a real-world scenario where a client discovered the presence of highly sensitive information in their Microsoft environment, and how our team helped them mitigate the risks.
Challenge: Identifying the unseen threat
During a routine audit, one of our clients uncovered a startling issue: their Microsoft 365 environment contained a significant amount of highly sensitive information, including Social Security Numbers (SSNs), passport numbers, credit card information, and bank routing numbers. These data types were scattered across various locations within the environment—stored in emails, documents, and spreadsheets—without any consistent protective measures in place.
The client was completely unaware of the volume and nature of this sensitive data and had not implemented the necessary controls to protect it. The discovery raised immediate concerns about potential exposure, compliance with regulations such as GDPR and PCI-DSS, and the overall security of the organization’s data. The situation highlighted a critical gap in the organization’s data security and governance strategy, with sensitive information being left vulnerable to unauthorized access and potential breaches.
Our response to mitigate the threat
Understanding the severity of the situation, Inviso quickly stepped in to provide a comprehensive solution aimed at protecting the client’s sensitive information using Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention and Information Protection tools.
- Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP): We began by implementing DLP policies specifically tailored to detect and prevent the sharing of sensitive information both within and outside the organization. These policies were configured to automatically monitor and control the flow of data, ensuring that sensitive information like SSNs and credit card numbers were not shared through unapproved channels. This proactive approach helped the client significantly reduce the risk of accidental data leaks.
- Purview Information Protection: In addition to DLP, we deployed Microsoft 365’s Information Protection tools to safeguard sensitive data throughout its lifecycle. This involved applying encryption, setting up strict access controls, and using rights management to ensure that only authorized personnel could access the sensitive information. Furthermore, we assisted the client in defining labeling and classification strategies to help them consistently identify and protect sensitive data across the organization.
By leveraging Microsoft Purview, we were able to help the client establish a more secure and compliant data environment, significantly reducing their risk of data breaches and regulatory violations.
Below is a summary of Purview’s findings of the data in a sample tenant, including a view of how clients can drill down into specific files and data right in the Purview portal.
Standardizing security with a blueprint for comprehensive data protection
The scope of the scenario above, specific to data in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook), is a small part of a broader, standardized approach that Inviso employs to deliver an end-to-end data protection solution using Purview.
Purview is a comprehensive data governance and compliance platform that provides visibility and control over data across an entire organization. It includes features for governing and securing data across the entire data estate.
This comprehensive methodology ensures that we not only address immediate data protection needs but also provide a scalable and sustainable framework for ongoing data governance. By leveraging the full suite of Purview’s capabilities, we can offer tailored services that align with each client’s unique business requirements, ensuring that sensitive information is consistently identified, classified, protected, and monitored throughout its lifecycle.
This holistic approach allows us to deliver a cohesive strategy that integrates seamlessly into the client’s existing operations, providing robust protection and compliance across all stages of data management. Key steps are:
- Data assessment and planning:
We begin by conducting a thorough assessment of the client’s data environment to identify potential risks and critical data sources. - Core Purview configuration:
We configure Purview to optimize the discovery, classification, and protection processes. - Data discovery:
Using advanced AI and machine learning, we help clients uncover all sensitive data within their environment, ensuring nothing is missed. - Data classification:
We assist in defining and applying classification rules that align with the client’s data governance policies. - Data loss prevention:
We implement DLP policies that detect and prevent unauthorized sharing of sensitive data. - Information protection:
We apply encryption, access controls, and rights management to safeguard data throughout its lifecycle. - Data lifecycle management:
We help clients establish policies for the retention and deletion of data based on regulatory and business needs. - Insider risk management:
We enable monitoring of user behavior to detect and mitigate insider threats. - Compliance management:
We ensure that data management practices align with industry regulations and standards. - Continuous improvement:
We continually review and refine data protection strategies to adapt to changing threats. - User training and adoption:
We provide comprehensive training to ensure the client’s team can effectively use Microsoft 365’s protection tools. - Monitoring and reporting:
We enable real-time monitoring and reporting to maintain visibility and control over sensitive data.
By addressing the challenges uncovered in this real-world scenario, we helped our client transform their data governance approach, ensuring that sensitive information is always protected. This case underscores the importance of regular data audits and the implementation of robust protection measures to safeguard sensitive data in any organization.
Ready to secure your sensitive data and take control of your information assets? Contact us today to learn how Microsoft Purview can help you mitigate risks and transform your data into a competitive advantage.
Not sure how to navigate the complexities of Purview?
Inviso is ready to help answer any questions and put you on the path to total data transformation. Contact us today to learn more about Microsoft 365 managed services.
