What is user activity monitoring?
User activity monitoring in Microsoft 365 involves tracking and analyzing user actions across the platform to ensure security, compliance, and productivity.
Table of contents
User activity monitoring allows organizations detect unusual behavior, protect sensitive information, and uphold regulatory compliance by providing insights into how users interact with Microsoft 365 apps and services like SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Exchange Online.
Key Features of user activity monitoring in Microsoft 365
- Audit logs: Microsoft 365 provides detailed audit logs in the Microsoft Purview Compliance Center, capturing activities such as file access, email interactions, sharing settings, and administrative actions.
- Activity alerts: If you’re want to detect and prevent potential security risks in real time, you can set up alerts for specific activities, like failed login attempts or unauthorized data sharing.
- Reports and insights: Usage analytics and productivity score dashboards provide visibility into user engagement and behavior patterns across Microsoft 365 services.
- Integration with Microsoft Defender: Advanced monitoring capabilities identify suspicious or malicious activity, such as data exfiltration or compromised accounts.
User activity monitoring examples
- Compliance: You can track file access and file sharing in SharePoint to ensure users handle sensitive data in accordance with multiple regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.
- Security: You can detect and then mitigate potential account compromises or insider threats by monitoring logins and access patterns.
- Productivity: You can use activity reports to understand collaboration patterns in Teams or OneDrive and identify areas for process improvement.