From Vulnerability to Vigilance: Azure DLP for Credit Card Protection

Introduction

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a strategic approach to protecting sensitive data from being leaked, shared, or misused, whether intentionally or accidentally. With Microsoft Purview – State of Art Modern Compliance Tool available on Azure, DLP plays a significant role in enhancing security, ensuring compliance, and safeguarding information.

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a critical security feature that helps organizations protect sensitive information. In this blog, we’ll explore how to implement a DLP policy on Azure to prevent the sharing of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as credit card details, outside your organization.

Why Security, Compliance and Information Protection is Important?

DLP helps organizations fortify their security posture by:

• Preventing Data Breaches: Ensures sensitive information, like credit card numbers, remains secure by blocking unauthorized sharing via email, cloud, or other communication channels.
• Mitigating Insider Threats: Reduces risks posed by intentional or accidental sharing of sensitive data by employees.
• Real-Time Protection: Monitors activities and provides immediate alerts or policy tips to prevent potential data loss.

Organizations are required to adhere to industry regulations like PCI-DSS, GDPR, or HIPAA. DLP policies in Microsoft Purview:

• Support Regulatory Requirements: Detect and protect sensitive information types, ensuring compliance with data protection laws.
• Audit Trails: Provide logs and reports for compliance audits, helping demonstrate adherence to data governance standards.
• Customizable Policies: Tailor rules for specific regulatory needs, ensuring sensitive data is handled appropriately.

Using Azure’s DLP capabilities, businesses can safeguard their critical data by:

• Classifying Data: Automatically detecting and classifying sensitive information such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including credit card numbers.
• Controlling Data Access: Restricting sharing or transferring sensitive data to external parties or unauthorized locations.
• Educating Users: Offering policy tips to inform employees about data protection policies and best practices.

Microsoft Purview: A Unified Approach

Microsoft Purview combines Azure Information Protection and compliance tools to provide:

• Centralized Management: A unified portal for configuring and monitoring DLP policies across services like Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive.
• Built-In Templates: Predefined policies for detecting sensitive data types such as credit card numbers, making it easier to implement and maintain DLP strategies.
• Comprehensive Monitoring: Real-time activity tracking and alerts for incidents, ensuring prompt responses to potential threats.

We’ll use a business scenario to understand the process better.

Business Use Case

Contoso Ltd., a financial services firm, needs to prevent employees from accidentally or intentionally sharing customers’ credit card numbers via office Apps like MS Team. This measure is essential for maintaining compliance with PCI-DSS and safeguarding customer trust.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Understand Azure Information Protection (AIP) and Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal

Azure’s DLP capabilities are part of the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal. It includes tools for:

1. Identifying sensitive information.
2. Applying restrictions to data sharing.

Step 2: Access the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin portal.
2. Navigate to the Compliance section.
3. Select Microsoft Purview > Data Loss Prevention.

Step 3: Define the Scope of the DLP Policy

• Locations to Protect: Choose the locations to monitor, such as Exchange Online, OneDrive, and SharePoint Online.
• Users or Groups: Apply the policy to all employees or specific departments handling sensitive data (e.g., Finance).

Step 4: Create a New DLP Policy

1. In the Microsoft Purview portal, click Data Loss Prevention > Policies > Create Policy.
2. Select Custom Policy or Template for PII Protection.
3. Name the policy (e.g., “Protect Credit Card Details”).
4. Add a detailed description for clarity.

Step 5: Configure the Policy Conditions

1. Choose Sensitive Information Types:
   • Select the built-in Credit Card Number type.
2. Add Custom Rules (Optional):
   • Configure advanced patterns if needed.
3. Define Conditions:
   • Apply the rule when credit card numbers are detected in emails or files.

Step 6: Define Actions to Take When Conditions Are Met

1. Block Sharing:
   • Configure the policy to block emails containing credit card details from being sent externally.
   • Prevent files with such data from being shared externally via OneDrive or SharePoint.
2. Notify Users:
   • Enable policy tips to inform users when they’re attempting to share restricted data.
3. Audit Logs:
   • Ensure incidents are logged for auditing and monitoring.

Step 7: Set Up Alerts and Monitoring

1. Configure alerts to notify administrators when policy violations occur.
2. Use Activity Explorer in Purview to monitor compliance and view incidents in real time.

Step 8: Test the Policy

1. Simulate scenarios where employees attempt to share credit card details via email or cloud.
2. Verify that the policy correctly blocks sharing and provides appropriate notifications.

Step 9: Enable the Policy

1. Review your settings.
2. Turn on the policy and set it to monitor mode initially.
3. After validation, switch the policy to enforcement mode.

Step 10: Educate Employees

1. Conduct awareness sessions to explain the importance of DLP and how the policy protects sensitive data.
2. Share best practices for handling PII securely.

Conclusion

By implementing a DLP policy on Azure, Contoso Ltd. can ensure that sensitive information like credit card numbers is protected from accidental or unauthorized sharing. Following this step-by-step guide, you can create a robust policy tailored to your organizational needs, maintaining compliance and building trust with your customers.

References

• Microsoft Purview Documentation
• Azure Information Protection

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