Nowadays, data is more than just a company’s valuable asset – it’s the lifeblood of some businesses. However, with great data, comes great responsibility. Protecting it should no longer be a task allocated to the IT department; it should be at the epicentre of any business’s overall strategy.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) plays a vital role in safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands – whether that’s due to accidental sharing, malicious intent, or external cyber threats.
When it comes to DLP, Microsoft offers powerful, integrated tools that make protecting your data more manageable and more efficient than ever. In this article, we’ll walk you through the essentials of DLP and how Microsoft 365 can help safeguard your business's sensitive information.
Data allows people and the businesses they operate to make better-informed decisions; therefore, datasets are a precious commodity in the modern business landscape and must be protected at any cost.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) could best be described as a security guard for a company’s data, ensuring that no one accidentally or intentionally steals or shares private information. Examples of data could include customer details, passwords, and company secrets—all of which, if compromised, could result in irreparable reputational ramifications and financial damage.
Proper DLP processes are even more important today, given the ever-increasing compliance requirements such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and cyber assurance—a practice that includes schemes such as GovAssure and IASME Cyber Assurance, set up by the UK Government to help organisations assess and improve their cybersecurity measures.
GDPR compliance requires UK-based businesses to implement specific measures, including protecting personal data (customer addresses/payment details) and tracking how they handle sensitive data with the help of DLP auditing and reporting tools.
In this case, a good place for an organisation to start would be to start readying their business for a Cyber Essentials accreditation. This would give the business a foundational level of cybersecurity that supports overall data protection efforts, even if it doesn't directly address Data Loss Prevention (DLP). For more information regarding Cyber Essentials accreditations and the lengths needed to fulfil them, please check out this blog post by our Technical Alignment Team Manager, Dave West.
My thoughts on Data Loss Prevention (DLP) are that it is easiest to apply where you have very specific types of sensitive data, such as:
Anything that is a specific code can be easily identified, and action can be taken if it leaves the organisation. This can be done in almost everyone’s Microsoft 365 packages!
Sometimes, you may want to prevent information from being sent outside the organisation. Other times, it is a matter of monitoring the quantities and locations of sensitive data, which a compliance officer may do.
For data that is not just a specific code—such as sensitive Word documents—it’s more complex to detect and prevent from leaving. However, this is all doable with guided planning alongside someone responsible for compliance. You’re more likely to need additional Microsoft tooling to make this work efficiently.
The best fit for DLP is where there could be fines for losing data, a loss of reputation that would impact businesses, or if you have intellectual property that you have developed at great cost and need to protect that investment.
Data is a precious commodity in today’s business landscape, so it can be lost or stolen in various ways. Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of data loss:
Accidents happen. Emails can be sent to the wrong person, documents can be uploaded accidentally, and business-critical information may be shared innocuously. Mistakes are a part of life, so expecting an organisation to mitigate every instance of accidental data sharing is unrealistic. However, these accidents can be reduced by educating employees and implementing robust data protection policies.
Not every person working for an organisation has good intentions. Some employees or contractors may leverage their access to steal, leak, or damage sensitive data or company secrets for personal gain. This type of data loss is more complex to mitigate as it involves trusted individuals. However, implementing strict access controls, monitoring systems, and fostering a culture of security awareness can help reduce these risks.
External cyber threats tend to be the type of data loss that comes to mind when you think of DLP. These threats typically attempt to infiltrate a company’s systems to exfiltrate business-critical data and information (customer data, financials, etc).
Fortunately, robust measures can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of cyber attackers accessing your company data, such as implementing strong access controls, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and endpoint security solutions. Additionally, employee cybersecurity training can help staff recognise phishing attempts, while advanced email filtering and threat detection tools can prevent malicious attachments or links from reaching inboxes.
Implementing data loss prevention (DLP) strategies doesn’t just help mitigate common causes of data loss - it provides several other critical benefits, including:
At Netitude, we’re big advocates for Microsoft 365 products. As Microsoft Gold Partners, we know that when used correctly, the tools on offer can enhance productivity, increase collaboration and improve security.
In 2024, I became a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, and as Netitude’s resident Microsoft expert, I feel like I’ve got the knowledge and the know-how to pass on some expertise when it comes to bettering a business’s DLP approach with Microsoft 365 tools.
As businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based collaboration tools, protecting sensitive data across Microsoft environments has never been more critical. That’s where Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) comes in.
Formerly known as Office 365 DLP, Microsoft Purview DLP is an advanced security solution designed to help organisations identify, monitor, and protect sensitive information across Microsoft 365 apps, endpoints, and third-party services.
Microsoft Purview DLP enables organisations to:
Office 365 DLP was originally limited to monitoring and protecting data within Microsoft 365 applications. However, with the shift to Microsoft Purview DLP, its capabilities have expanded significantly, allowing businesses to:
With these enhanced capabilities, Microsoft Purview DLP goes beyond traditional data protection, offering a holistic approach to securing sensitive information across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
To maximise the effectiveness of Microsoft Purview DLP, it’s essential to implement best practices and leverage all the features it has to offer. Here’s how businesses can get the very most out of Microsoft 365 DLP:
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is more than just a best practice—it’s a necessity in today’s data-driven world. As the landscape of data threats continues to evolve, so too must our strategies for safeguarding that data. With Microsoft 365, businesses gain a robust suite of DLP tools that help protect sensitive information and streamline compliance with data protection regulations. By implementing Microsoft Purview DLP and following best practices, you can ensure that your organisation’s data stays safe, compliant, and out of harm’s way.
For businesses of all sizes, a proactive approach to data protection is the key to safeguarding their reputation, customers, and future. With the right DLP strategy in place, they can mitigate risks, prevent data breaches, and build trust with their clients and stakeholders.