Proven Ways of Securing Data in the AI Era with Microsoft Purview

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, organizations face increasingly sophisticated cyber threats that demand a new approach to security. Traditional tools and methods are no longer enough to keep pace with the speed and scale of attacks by cybercriminals. The number of password attacks detected by Microsoft has risen from 579 per second to over 4,000 per second in just two years. Furthermore, the global cost of cybercrime will reach a staggering $10.5 trillion by 2025, highlighting the urgency for robust security measures.

To address these challenges, Microsoft has introduced Microsoft Purview, a powerful solution that leverages generative AI to enhance data security and compliance. Microsoft Purview provides organizations with real-time insights and protection against emerging threats that often go undetected by unifying threat intelligence across all security applications, copilots, clouds, and platforms. Let’s explore how data classification and labeling, combined with the capabilities of Microsoft Purview, can help organizations achieve higher security and trust in an AI-driven world.

The Importance of Data Classification and Labeling

Data classification and labeling play a crucial role in ensuring the security and reliability of data used for generative AI. Organizations can improve data quality, protect privacy, and manage data access effectively by organizing and categorizing data based on its attributes, characteristics, and sensitivity. Here are some key benefits of data classification and labeling:

1. Improve Data Quality and Relevance

Data classification and labeling help organizations ensure that the data used for generative AI is authentic, reliable, and relevant. By identifying and removing errors, noise, and bias from the data, organizations can enhance the performance and security of their AI systems. Additionally, data classification and labeling enable the identification and elimination of redundant, obsolete, or trivial data that may hinder the effectiveness of generative AI models.

2. Protect Data Privacy and Confidentiality

Data classification and labeling are vital for safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of sensitive information. Organizations can prevent unauthorized access, modification, or data leakage by applying appropriate labels and access controls. This benefit ensures compliance with data protection regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), instilling trust in customers and stakeholders.

3. Manage Data Access and Usage

Data classification and labeling enable organizations to control and manage access rights and permissions for users interacting with generative AI systems. By implementing granular access controls, organizations can ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data. Furthermore, monitoring and auditing data usage activities help detect and prevent misuse or abuse of data and AI systems.

Microsoft Purview: Empowering Data Security and Compliance

Microsoft Purview offers a comprehensive data governance service that provides organizations with a unified view of their data estate across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Leveraging the power of generative AI, Purview enables organizations to locate, understand, and protect sensitive information at scale. Let’s delve into the key features and capabilities of Microsoft Purview:

1. Register and Scan Data Sources

The first step in using Microsoft Purview is to register and scan the data sources that contain the data used for generative AI. This includes databases, storage accounts, data lakes, and non-Microsoft cloud services. By registering and scanning these sources, Purview helps discover and catalog data assets, extract metadata, and establish a foundation for effective data governance.

2. Classify and Label Data Assets

Once the data sources are registered, organizations can leverage Purview to classify and label the data assets based on their attributes and sensitivity. Purview provides a wide range of built-in system classifications and the flexibility to create custom classifications tailored to specific needs. Classifying and labeling data assets helps categorize and organize data, ensuring consistent application of security measures. 

3. Apply Sensitivity Labels

Microsoft Purview integrates with Microsoft Information Protection to protect sensitive data, allowing organizations to apply sensitivity labels to data assets. These labels define the level of confidentiality and protection required for each asset. Organizations can enforce access controls, encryption, and data loss prevention policies by applying sensitivity labels to safeguard sensitive information.

4. Search and Browse Data Assets

With data assets classified and labeled, Microsoft Purview provides a user-friendly interface, the Purview governance portal, for searching and browsing data. Users can quickly locate relevant data assets by using keywords, filters, facets, and classifications. This search capability enhances data discoverability and accessibility, enabling efficient data utilization for generative AI.

5. Monitor and Report Data Assets

Microsoft Purview offers various tools and features to monitor and report on data assets. The data classification dashboard provides insights into the security and reliability of data assets, highlighting areas of concern. Additionally, the activity explorer allows organizations to track and analyze data usage and access patterns, ensuring compliance with data governance policies and regulations.

6. Enhanced Threat Intelligence with Generative AI

With Microsoft Purview’s integration of generative AI, organizations gain access to Microsoft’s extensive threat intelligence capabilities. Leveraging a vast data footprint of 65 trillion daily signals, Microsoft Security monitors over 300 threat groups and gathers insights from millions of customers and partners. This wealth of data enables Purview to proactively identify and mitigate emerging threats, empowering organizations to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

7. Unified Security Operations Platform

Microsoft’s unified security operations platform combines Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, and Microsoft Security Copilot. This integration provides security analysts with a unified incident experience, streamlining triage and providing a comprehensive view of threats across the digital estate. Furthermore, unified hunting capabilities enable analysts to query all relevant data in one place, facilitating the discovery of hidden cyber threats.

8. Consolidation and Simplification

Microsoft’s unified security operations platform eliminates the need for organizations to manage multiple security tools and platforms. Organizations can reduce complexity, streamline workflows, and optimize resource allocation by consolidating security operations into a single solution. This consolidation enhances operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness, allowing security teams to focus on proactive threat detection and response.

Conclusion

In an AI-driven era, organizations must prioritize data security and compliance to harness the benefits of generative AI. With its advanced data classification and labeling capabilities, Microsoft Purview empowers organizations to protect sensitive data, ensure compliance, and enhance overall data governance. By leveraging the extensive threat intelligence of Microsoft Security and the unified security operations platform, organizations can proactively defend against emerging cyber threats and gain a competitive edge in the digital landscape. Embrace the power of secure and trustworthy AI with Microsoft Purview and safeguard your organization’s data assets in the evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Further Reading

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/security-compliance-and-identity/securing-data-in-an-ai-first-world-with-microsoft-purview/ba-p/3981279#:~:text=Microsoft%20Purview%20can%20automatically%20and,information%20included%20in%20those%20prompts.

Further Reading

https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/security/business/microsoft-purview

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