Companies today handle an abundance of sensitive data including customer information as well as financial records and intellectual property. It is essential to safeguard this information against unauthorized access, so that customers continue to trust the company with their data and to ensure that the information is legally accessible in the event of a dispute or regulatory action.
Without robust measures in place, unauthorized access to sensitive data can cause significant harm to the business, including loss of sales reputational damage and legal costs. By adopting a plan that defines security procedures to protect sensitive information, the business can reduce the risk of cyber-attacks and protect against legal risks.
Information protection is a broad category of software that assists businesses safeguard sensitive information whether they’re in the cloud or on devices such as laptops. It encompasses everything from guidelines that define what types of information are considered sensitive and the way they’re accessed as well as the physical controls that must be put in place, such as encryption or password protection, to the procedures that are put in place to monitor access and identify potential threats and respond to potential threats.
Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) also referred to as Azure Information Protection and Purview, permits the classification and discovery of sensitive information by labeling. You can secure content regardless of where it’s stored or moved, monitor who accessed it, and revoke access when needed. MIP can be extended to other applications and systems via the SDK. For instance Line-of-business applications could apply sensitivity label to documents when exporting them or CAD/CAM tools may use MIP to automatically article encrypt documents prior to saving them to an appropriate folder.