Data fragmentation is a common challenge for companies with multiple data sources from different areas. IT managers and departments are challenged with the labour-intensive task of manually managing and classifying data for compliance and reporting. Sensitive data such as credit information, home addresses, banking details, and other personal client information must be protected and managed by the company safely and securely.

Having a holistic view of the environment and data landscape in a single repository not only provides companies with effective data management and analysis but also provides access to data quickly and easily. The automation and artificial intelligence (AI) processes within Microsoft Purview assist with compliance and reporting thereby reducing the burden on IT managers and departments to manually classify data.

Sahil Kassie, Microsoft Security Specialist at First Distribution, describes how Microsoft Purview enhances data security and governance by providing a unified platform. Microsoft Purview integrates data governance, data security, and compliance solutions where a data map, for instance, is automatically scanned, classified, and catalogued to enable users to search, understand, and manage data assets.

“The automation component uses AI and machine learning for data classification, tagging, policy enforcement, and general integration within the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft Purview seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft applications such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Power BI. It provides data governance for Microsoft Azure data services such as Azure data leak storage and Azure SQL database. It provides compliance solutions to Microsoft 365 that manage data across the entire exchange within the mailbox, exchange, and online locations such as SharePoint and OneDrive. Lastly, it enhances Microsoft Power BI with data discovery by displaying a dashboard for oversight on all data and where it is stored”, advises Kassie.

Compared to other data governance solutions in the market, Microsoft Purview stands out with its comprehensive AI approach to data governance. The all-in-one platform reduces the need for multiple-point solutions. With the data protection regulations within Microsoft Purview, compliance, and data protection regulations are protected by offering tools to manage data. The data life cycle enforces data protection policies and generates a compliance report that displays features such as compliance manager. This facilitates the identification and collection of sensitive information, and the auditing of electronic information for legal regulatory purposes.

Kassie shares a five-step process for setting up a third-party data connector with Microsoft Purview:

1. Find a third-party data connector or third-party data partner, such as First Distribution, that provides the necessary data connector.
2. Create and configure a data mailbox to receive the third-party data.
3. Configure user mailboxes and ensure that the mailboxes are set up to receive and store both imported data and sensitive information.
4. Provision a service principle using a task automation and configuration management program such as PowerShell for the partner application.
5. Lastly, create the connector within the Microsoft Purview Portal following the on-screen prompts to complete the actual third-party connector integration.

First Distribution is taking the AI and machine learning route when it comes to security technologies. The company is using technology and AI to ensure data security and data backup. The technical team can deploy Microsoft Purview without any interference throughout the environment.

Kassie explains how to get started with Microsoft Purview. Create a Microsoft Azure account. After signing up, the next step is setting up Microsoft Purview and acquiring the correct licensing. Create a new instance of Microsoft Purview in the Azure portal and register, add, and configure data sources to be scanned and governed by Poly. Based on an individual’s role and access control, the individual can develop sensitivity labels, run scans, and classify data. This could be classified according to ID numbers, addresses, contact details, and other personal details. From this, insights must be generated to explore and use data catalogues. The solution is built into the Microsoft Azure portal using the Microsoft Purview technology and can be deployed to the entire company.

In conclusion, Kassie advises partners and potential customers to take a zero-cost security assessment before exploring Microsoft Purview. This will allow you to drive your security journey based on the findings. The assessment is further encouraged with a recommendation remediation plan before placing additional technologies in the environment.

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