Executive Focus: Navigating Microsoft Compliance Technologies, 2023 Edition

• The number and scale of data sources, applications, and enterprise infrastructure make regulatory compliance complex.
• Failure to understand compliance requirements, or to properly use compliance-related technologies, can result in reputational damage or litigation.
• Recognizing that compliance is central to adoption of cloud computing, Microsoft has made substantial investments in its offerings, called Purview.

As IT and corporate executives are aware, complying with applicable laws, regulations, and standards can be daunting. The growth in both the quantity of data and in the number of data sources typically managed by an enterprise makes compliance even more challenging. To address regulatory compliance, Microsoft offers a suite of services, now collectively branded as Microsoft Purview. Supporting Microsoft 365, Azure, and some on-premises scenarios, Purview provides a wide variety of compliance capabilities, including data retention, sensitivity labeling, data estate assessments, communications monitoring, data loss prevention (DLP), and others. However, Purview is no panacea. Owing to the breadth of regulatory requirements as well as the scope of Microsoft Purview services, organizations must take the time to understand their needs and requirements, to determine whether Purview can assist in addressing its compliance needs. The provided recommendations in this report can help compliance and IT professionals select and deploy the correct technologies to help ensure they mitigate compliance risk. For Microsoft 365 customers, many Purview capabilities require organization-wide licensing of Microsoft 365 E5 or equivalent add-on licenses, substantially increasing their Microsoft bills.