The Importance of Setting Up Data Loss Prevention (DLP) within Microsoft 365

  • Why it's Important

What DLP Does for You

DLP is all about keeping sensitive information safe.

  • Identify and track sensitive data: Scans services like Teams, Exchange, SharePoint, and OneDrive to keep an eye on sensitive information.
  • Protect data in motion and at rest: The beauty of DLP is that it also blocks or encrypts sensitive data, preventing unauthorized access. That’s important these days!
  • Ensures you stay compliant: DLP helps you meet legal requirement, keeping you safe from fines and penalties.
  • Real-time tracking: With DLP, you can track sensitive labeled data as it’s accessed or shared across emails, messages, cloud services, and even physical media. If there’s a breach or attempt to share the data in an insecure way, DLP can stop it right there.

How DLP Helps Businesses

Healthcare Provider: A small healthcare provider can set up DLP policies to meet HIPAA guidelines, ensuring that sensitive patient information is protected. For example, if an employee tries to send an unencrypted email with patient details, the DLP system will block it and notify them about the violation.

Small Retail Business: DLP can be used to protect customer payment info by blocking any attempts to send emails with unencrypted payment data. 

Law Firm: DLP can protect sensitive client information. If someone tries to share a document containing confidential legal details, DLP can block the action and send a notification to the employee.

Financial Institution: DLP can safeguard sensitive financial data and meet regulations like the U.S. Patriot Act. If an employee tries to share a document with unencrypted credit card numbers, DLP can quarantine the document and alert the compliance team.

Educational Institution: DLP can protect student records and comply with FERPA regulations. If an employee tries to send a document containing sensitive student data, DLP will stop them and alert them about the violation.

Options for Different Needs

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the rules for keeping patient data safe. With a DLP policy for HIPAA, you can easily spot and protect sensitive information that falls under these regulations.

Here’s what you need to protect:

  • PII Identifiers: Personal details like names, addresses, and Social Security Numbers.
  • Medical Terms: Information about medical conditions, treatments, and diagnoses.

U.S. Patriot Act

The USA PATRIOT Act focuses on preventing and punishing terrorism, both in the U.S. and worldwide. Setting up a DLP policy for this act helps you identify and protect sensitive information related to financial data that falls under its regulations.

Here’s what you need to protect:

  • Credit Card Number
  • U.S. Bank Account Number
  • U.S. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
  • U.S. Social Security Number (SS

For businesses with unique needs, you can create custom lists of sensitive terms and protect them with DLP. This option requires a tailored approach to set up exactly what’s necessary for your organization.

Setting up Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Microsoft 365 is a must for small and medium businesses to protect sensitive data and stay compliant with regulations. By picking the right DLP settings, you can customize your security plan to fit your business’s unique needs. As your trusted MSP, we’re here to guide you through the process, making sure your data stays safe and secure every step of the way.


Take the First Step!
Don’t wait until something goes wrong. Start protecting your valuable information today with a custom DLP strategy. Reach out to us to get started:


Email: Compliance@CertifiedCIO.com