What is DLP?
DLP stands for Data loss prevention. Data loss prevention (DLP) in Microsoft 365 refers to policies and tools designed to prevent the accidental or intentional sharing, leakage, or misuse of sensitive data and information within an organization.
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DLP helps protect confidential information such as financial records, personally identifiable information (PII), health data, or intellectual property by monitoring and controlling how this data is accessed, shared, or transmitted.
Data loss prevention in Microsoft 365
Here are some of the features Microsoft 365 uses to protect your organization’s information:
- Content inspection: If you have content inspection enabled, Microsoft Defender will analyze data across services like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams to detect sensitive information patterns.
- Policy enforcement: You can define rules that automatically block, encrypt, or flag data-sharing actions based on sensitivity levels, such as preventing the sharing of credit card numbers via email.
- User notifications: This feature provides real-time alerts and tips to users when they attempt actions that violate your organization’s DLP policies. This is useful because it helps educate and correct behavior without causing major disruptions.
- Audit and reporting: Extensive auditing and reporting allow admins to track policy violations across an organization’s M365 environment and get detailed reports for compliance reviews and risk management.
- Integration with Microsoft Purview: DLP integrates seamlessly with Purview’s broader compliance tools for advanced data governance and regulatory adherence.
Data loss prevention scenarios
Here are a couple of situations that occur regularly in organizations around the world:
- Email protection: Prevent employees from accidentally emailing files containing, for example, social security numbers or other personal identification information to external recipients.
- File sharing controls: Block the sharing of documents marked as “Confidential” in OneDrive or SharePoint with unauthorized users.
- Teams Chat Monitoring: Identify and restrict the sharing of sensitive data like credit card numbers in Teams messages.
DLP benefits
In addition to helping you with the scenarios mentioned above, DLP also helps you with:
- Compliance assurance: Helps organizations meet regulatory requirements such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS by safeguarding sensitive data.
- Risk mitigation: Reduces the risk of data breaches by preventing unauthorized access or leakage of critical information.
- User awareness: Proactive alerts and warnings educate users on safe data practices, strengthening your organization’s overall security.
By implementing DLP in Microsoft 365, organizations can secure sensitive data, ensure compliance, and maintain trust with customers and stakeholders.