Configure Data Loss Prevention in Office 365: Step-By-Step

What is the M365 Data Loss Prevention Policy?

Microsoft being a SaaS environment and Office 365 cloud server is always at the edge of risk. The custom DLP policy Office 365 is a security feature by Microsoft to secure data from potential threats. It ensures data is protected from any kind of internal/external attacks, breaches, or accidental disclosure. The DLP policy secures users’ confidential data by a set of rules to keep the data intact.

Why is Data Loss Prevention in Office 365 Required?

DLP policy is useful for many reasons as stated below:

• Suitable for legal and regulatory GDPR, HIPAA, etc. compliances.
• No inadvertent data sharing and prevention from a breach or malicious activity.
• Office 365 DLP secures PII and keeps a check on user control and access.
• User awareness by suspicion notifications and other blocking features.
• Data Loss prevention exchange online includes various encryption and anti-malware tools boosting security.
• It can be applied anywhere like Emails, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Microsoft Tools, and even on Mobiles.

How to Enable Data Loss Prevention Microsoft?

You can easily set up DLP in Microsoft Office 365 manually and protect your data. But it won’t be that easy, and technical knowledge will be required. Alternatively, for a quick and reliable solution, you can browse the professional tool at the end.

Manual Process for Data Loss Prevention in Office 365

Follow these steps to create and apply DLP for keeping the crucial data secure:

1. Log into your Office 365 account and go to the Admin Center.
2. There, move to the Security & Compliance to open the Compliance Center.
3. Further, in the open window, select Data Loss Prevention >> Policy.
4. Now, press Create Policy and pick a template for your new DLP. Tap Next.
5. Afterward, configure the policy settings and specify the following details:
• Name and description of your policy. (Ex: Health Policy: for family)
• Location to put the policy to. (Ex: SharePoint, Exchange Online, etc.)
• Conditions including keywords and crucial information, and other Standard or Advanced settings (as required).
• Other Violation Actions like Notification, Block access, Alerts, etc.
6. In the end, click Next and review the settings. Click Create O365 data loss prevention.

Does this Solution Have Any Shortcomings?

Yes, the manual method has limitations, despite being free as follows:

• DLP policies aren’t always correct and at times can provide false information.
• Limited to pre-known sensitive data and not flexible for new or custom data.
• Difficult controls, especially in complex conditions like time, location, etc.
• Limited support, chances of conflicts, inability to cover complete data, etc.

There are some more such reasons why Office 365 DLP policies are lacking. However, they are still useful for data protection up to an extent.

Which Tool Helps Data Loss Prevention in Office 365?

SysInfo Office 365 Backup Tool is the best utility to secure Microsoft cloud data. It saves the data in different file formats and migrates to several email clients without any size issues. Additionally, it retrieves Outlook OST and PST files and Recover Deleted Emails in Office 365 too. Moreover, the tool secures all emails, contacts, calendars, etc. in their original structure without any losses. Some additional features of this comprehensive tool are:

• Secure data from multiple Office 365 IDs at once by Assign Impersonation.
• Intricate features managing duplicates, attachments, and selective data.
• Also, compatibility with both Windows system and MS Outlook versions is great.

Steps for Data Loss Prevention in Office 365

1. Start the software and press Backup/Restore. We choose, Backup.
2. Then, provide the Office 365 email, tick Assign Impersonation, and click Sign In.
3. Further, pick the User ID and Mailbox from which you need to secure data.
4. Now, click Next and Preview the folders and other data in the wizard. Hit Next.
5. After that, choose a desired option for Save/Backup/Migrate As and checkbox filters.
6. Lastly, provide a Path to Save and click on Convert to complete data backup.

Conclusion

To conclude, implement a DLP policy to secure all your data easily for free in Microsoft Office 365. However, remember that every free solution brings some drawbacks as stated above. For quick recovery and data loss prevention in Office 365, use a professional tool. It will make your task simpler and straightforward without the requirement of any admin account or credentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

About The Author:

Simran Bhatia

Simran Bhatia is a technical content writer engaged in writing clear, concise, and SEO-optimized content. With a background in computer science and a passion for writing, I thrive to deliver complex technical content in simple layman terms.