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Microsoft Security

The future of compliance and data governance is here: Introducing Microsoft Purview

The worldwide shift to a hybrid workplace has pushed us all to embrace ubiquitous connectivity. Those new connections have helped us become more collaborative; routinely editing and sharing documents in real-time from wherever we happen to be working. Instant messaging went from being a tool of convenience to a cornerstone of communication. People in business, operations, and technical roles became adept at stitching together disparate solutions to meet changing needs.

But constant connectivity brings evolving, inherent risks. Over the past two years, organizations have seen a massive increase in their digital footprint, leading to data fragmentation and growth across a multitude of applications, devices, and locations. The Great Reshuffle left blind spots within ever-enlarging data estates.1 Dark data, which organizations pay to store, but goes underutilized in decision making, is now growing at a rate of 62 percent per year.2  Even the virtual office has created the risk of new collaboration mediums opening doors to harassment, sensitive data leaks, and other workplace policy infractions. It’s a big digital world for any organization to try to manage. 

The lines between risk roles are blurring 

Just as today’s big-data, multiplatform, hyper-connected workplace brings new vulnerabilities, the responsibility for protecting it is also in flux. For example, an organization with a Chief Data Officer (CDO), Chief Risk Officer (CRO)/Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and Chief Information Officer (CIO) has to choose whether they will duplicate, compete, or collaborate. Conditions that are driving the need for integrated risk management include:

In a tracking survey of over 500 US decision-makers, nearly all (95 percent) are concerned about challenges they face regarding data protection in 2021.” 3

The market has responded with dozens of products that force security, data governance, compliance, and legal teams to stitch together a patchwork of solutions. This approach not only strains resources, but it’s also ineffective. Security outcomes are worse—audits are failed and brand reputations are damaged.

”A survey of US decision-makers showed that to meet their compliance and data-protection needs, almost 80 percent had purchased multiple products, and a majority had purchased three or more. 4

Introducing Microsoft Purview 

To meet the challenges of today’s decentralized, data-rich workplace, we’re introducing Microsoft Purview—a comprehensive set of solutions that help you govern, protect, and manage your entire data estate. This new brand family combines the capabilities of the former Azure Purview and the Microsoft 365 Compliance portfolio that customers already rely on, providing unified data governance and risk management for your organization.

The new Microsoft Purview:

Microsoft Purview brings together data governance from Microsoft Data and AI, along with compliance and risk management from Microsoft Security. Microsoft Purview is also complemented by identity and access management, threat protection, cloud security, endpoint management, and privacy management capabilities—creating a truly comprehensive approach to security.

Microsoft Purview at a glance

Circle split in half surrounding Microsoft Purview. To the left, Risk and compliance: for risk, compliance, and legal teams. To the right, Unified data governance: for data consumers, data engineers, and data officers.
Current NameNew Name
Microsoft 365 Basic AuditMicrosoft Purview Audit (Standard)
Microsoft 365 Advanced AuditMicrosoft Purview Audit (Premium)
Microsoft 365 Communication ComplianceMicrosoft Purview Communication Compliance
Microsoft Compliance ManagerMicrosoft Purview Compliance Manager
Office 365 Customer LockboxMicrosoft Purview Customer Lockbox
Azure Purview Data CatalogMicrosoft Purview Data Catalog
Microsoft 365 Data ConnectorsMicrosoft Purview Data Connectors
Microsoft Information GovernanceMicrosoft Purview Data Lifecycle Management
Office 365 Data Loss PreventionMicrosoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
Azure Purview Data MapMicrosoft Purview Data Map
Double Key Encryption for Microsoft 365Microsoft Purview Double Key Encryption
Records Management in Microsoft 365Microsoft Purview Records Management
Office 365 Core eDiscoveryMicrosoft Purview eDiscovery (Standard)
Office 365 Advanced eDiscoveryMicrosoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium)
Microsoft 365 Information BarriersMicrosoft Purview Information Barriers
Microsoft Information ProtectionMicrosoft Purview Information Protection
Microsoft 365 Insider Risk ManagementMicrosoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Azure Purview portalMicrosoft Purview governance portal
Microsoft 365 compliance center Microsoft Purview compliance portal
Azure Purview Data InsightsMicrosoft Purview Data Estate Insights
Microsoft 365 Customer KeyMicrosoft Purview Customer Key

Securing multicloud and multiplatform environments

Because organizations now operate across multiple clouds and on-premises platforms, we’ve expanded Microsoft Purview’s capabilities to include data protection for macOS users, as well as offering new data classifiers, protection for mobile devices, and data lifecycle management.

Protecting your business and employees in a hybrid work environment

Employees don’t gather around the water cooler anymore. They’re communicating across digital channels and personal and corporate devices. Microsoft Purview helps protect your organization’s data with Insider Risk Management, eDiscovery, Communication Compliance, and more.

Enhancing data governance across compliance and privacy imperatives

Microsoft Priva complements Microsoft Purview’s data governance and compliance portfolio. Acting as a separately available privacy management solution that proactively identifies and helps protect against privacy risks, Priva provides visibility into organizations’ privacy postures. This includes associated privacy risks arising from personal data transfers, overexposure, and hoarding. Priva’s policy-driven templates also help customers adhere to common privacy regulations and requirements.

At the same time, Priva provides the flexibility to customize policies for user groups, data locations, conditions, and notifications. As the foundation of enterprise privacy management, Priva automatically recommends risk-remediation actions and subject rights requests at scale—offering built-in review and redact capabilities and integration with business processes and APIs.

We protect data to protect people 

Regulations regarding data governance don’t exist in a vacuum. Their purpose is to help create a more ethical digital world. A strong solution is built around strong principles. It’s designed to protect customers’ data, keep employees’ workplaces safe, and protect the business. At Microsoft, we don’t do these things just because they’re required, we do them because they’re right.   

There’s no going back to the days of perimeter-based security. Enabling an effective Zero Trust approach requires the ability to govern, protect, and understand data coming from an ever-widening array of endpoints. Similarly, the number of tools we use for work will also grow. And with it, the challenge of having to protect data and manage risk across a multicloud and multiplatform environment. 

The unification of Microsoft’s data governance and compliance capabilities to Microsoft Purview reflects our belief that the world needs a simpler and more unified approach to data. We want to help you get the most out of your data while simultaneously managing risk and compliance. If you’re already a Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance customer, head over to the revamped Microsoft Purview compliance portal to check out some of these changes. If you’re an existing Azure Purview customer, visit the new Microsoft Purview governance portal. To learn more and get started, visit the Microsoft Purview website or start a free trial today.

Join other cybersecurity professionals at the Microsoft Security Summit digital event on May 12, 2022. Hear exciting product announcements and discover solutions you can use to lay the foundation for a safer and more innovative future. Register now.

To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us at @MSFTSecurity for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.


1How Microsoft can help reduce insider risk during the Great Reshuffle, Alym Rayani, Microsoft Security. February 28, 2022.

2Shed light on your dark data before GDPR comes into force, CIO, April 2018.

3September 2021 survey of 512 US compliance decision-makers commissioned by Microsoft from Vital Findings.

4February 2022 survey of 200 US compliance decision-makers (n=100 599-999 employees, n=100 1000+ employees) commissioned by Microsoft with MDC Research.