Microsoft Purview for Data Retention and Compliance

Why data retention & compliance doesn't have to be a headache

“Data is like water: too much and you drown, too little and you dehydrate.”

In the world of IT, it's crucial to stay up to date with the latest technologies that help organizations effectively manage and secure their data. One of the most promising solutions in this area is Microsoft Purview. This platform offers a complete suite of tools to take data governance, compliance and security within your organization to a higher level.

Increasingly stringent regulations such as ISO 27001, GDPR, and DORA requires companies to have their data management in order. At the same time, the amount of data is growing exponentially. Over the past two years, 90% of all existing data has been created, 80% of which no longer has any business value. This makes managing and securing information challenging, especially with the growing amount of unstructured data such as emails, documents, and spreadsheets. Fortunately, Microsoft Purview offers a solution.

Over the past two years, 90% of all existing data has been created, 80% of which no longer has any business value.

What is Microsoft Purview?

Microsoft Purview, formerly known as Azure Purview, is a comprehensive suite of solutions for data governance, security and compliance. It helps organizations manage and protect data, no matter where it is. The platform offers integrated tools to address:

• Data fragmentation within organizations
• Lack of visibility that hampers data security and governance
• The blurring of traditional IT management tasks

Why choose Microsoft Purview?

• Included as standard for organizations with an E3 or E5 license, making it immediately accessible to many companies.
• Seamless integration with other Microsoft products such as Microsoft 365, Azure, and SharePoint.
• Automation of data retention that makes compliance easier.
• Continuous innovation thanks to Azure cloud updates.

Key features of Microsoft Purview

1. Data governance: overview and control over data

Microsoft Purview offers solutions for data governance that help organizations manage data within on-premises, multicloud, and SaaS environments. This includes:

• Azure storage services, Power BI, databases such as SQL and Hive
• File services such as Amazon S3
• Support for unstructured data, which is crucial for companies with a lot of distributed information

The comprehensive data cataloging and classification functions enable organizations to easily manage their data inventory and ownership structures.

2. Data security: protecting sensitive information

Microsoft Purview offers advanced security measures such as:

• Data loss prevention (DLP) to prevent data breaches
• Data security posture management (DSPM) for proactive risk management
• Information protection for identifying and securing sensitive data

3. Risk & compliance: comply with regulations

Regulations such as ISO 27001, DORA, and GDPR sets increasingly stringent data management requirements. Microsoft Purview helps with this with tools such as:

• Compliance manager for compliance with legal requirements
• Insider risk management to identify and mitigate risks within the organization

4. Efficient data retention: minimize costs and risks

With Microsoft Purview, companies can retention policy set to:

• Automatically store or delete data based on compliance rules
• Save costs by deleting obsolete or redundant data on time
• Reducing the risk of fines and reputational damage

Comparison: Microsoft Purview vs. competitors

Compared to data governance solutions such as Informatics and Collibra, Microsoft Purview stands out for:

• Deeper integration with Microsoft products
• A more uniform user experience
• No extra costs for many Microsoft 365 users

This makes it a cost-effective and efficient choice for companies that already operate within the Microsoft ecosystem.

Best practices for implementing Microsoft Purview

Do you want to use Microsoft Purview successfully? Follow these steps:

1. Map all data flows

• Where is data generated?
• How is it currently managed?
• What should be kept and what can be removed?

2. Involve your employees

• Understand how employees interact with data
• Organize training courses and workshops
• Ensure clear communication about data retention

3. Implement a well-thought-out change plan

• How do you prevent contamination of freshly cleaned data?
• How do you ensure compliance with new processes?

4. Integrate Purview smartly into existing systems

• Take advantage of automation and workflows
• Prevent extra complexity

5. Ensure ongoing management and updates

• Regular checks and adjustments
• Staying up to date with changing legislation

Microsoft Purview FAQ

What's the difference between Microsoft Purview and Azure Data Catalog?

Microsoft Purview is a more comprehensive solution that offers data security, compliance and risk management in addition to data cataloging. Azure Data Catalog focuses purely on cataloging data.

How does Microsoft Purview help with GDPR compliance?

With data classification and monitoring Purview helps organizations identify and manage sensitive information, making GDPR compliance easier.

How does Microsoft Purview support data retention?

Microsoft Purview offers automated data retention and deletion features, allowing organizations to comply with legal requirements and internal guidelines without manual intervention.

Discover the power of Microsoft Purview

Microsoft Purview offers an all-in-one solution for companies that want to improve their data governance and compliance. By taking advantage of the powerful features, you can cut costs, reduce risks, and comply with regulations.

Want to know more? Follow us webinar where our experts take you into the world of data retention, compliance and Microsoft Purview. Together, we ensure that data retention does not become a headache.