What baseline Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies does Microsoft recommend in Microsoft Purview?

Question

I am working on implementing DLP policies for a financial organization in India. Microsoft Purview provides several pre-configured DLP policy templates. I would like to know which policies Microsoft considers as "baseline" or recommended starting points.

Answer 1

Hi @Shreya BhurkuseTo achieve the strongest possible protection and minimize data loss risks for your organization especially in a sensitive sector like finance we recommend adopting a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy that combines Microsoft Purview’s DLP capabilities with other critical security controls.

1. Implement and Customize Microsoft Purview DLP Policies Use Microsoft’s built-in DLP templates as a baseline, and tailor them to detect and block sensitive data (like financial info and personal identifiers) across Microsoft 365 apps such as Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams.
2. Enable Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (Endpoint DLP) Extend DLP monitoring and controls to Windows devices (with growing support for macOS) to prevent sensitive data leaks directly from user devices.
3. Use Azure Information Protection (AIP) for Classification and Encryption Classify sensitive documents and emails with sensitivity labels, and apply encryption and rights management to protect data even when shared externally.
4. Enforce Strong Access Controls Implement Conditional Access policies and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to ensure only authorized users can access sensitive information.
5. Apply Privileged Access Management Limit and monitor elevated permissions to reduce insider risk.
6. Conduct Employee Training and Awareness Programs Educate users on data handling best practices to reduce accidental data leaks and phishing risks.
7. Monitor Continuously and Audit Use Microsoft Purview’s reporting and alerting capabilities to detect suspicious activities and respond promptly.
8. Prepare an Incident Response Plan Have a clear, tested process in place to quickly handle any data breach or leakage incident.

Please kindly refer to the following Microsoft documentation for more details:

Data Loss Prevention Policies

Endpoint Data Loss Prevention Overview

Azure Information Protection
Identity and Access Management Best Practices
I hope this helps! Please let us know how it goes.

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