Microsoft Purview is Microsoft’s unified platform for data security, data governance and compliance. For technical professionals, it is designed to help organisations discover, classify, protect, manage and monitor data across Microsoft 365, Azure, SaaS applications, AI tools and broader data environments.
What does Microsoft Purview do?
Microsoft Purview helps technical, security, compliance and data teams gain visibility over information, control sensitive data, manage regulatory obligations and reduce data risk. Its core purpose is to make enterprise data easier to find, govern, secure and use responsibly, especially as organisations adopt analytics, automation and Microsoft Copilot.
Key Microsoft Purview tasks and capabilities
- Data discovery and mapping: identify where structured and unstructured data lives across cloud, on-premises and SaaS systems.
- Sensitive data classification: detect personal, financial, confidential and regulated information.
- Information protection: apply sensitivity labels, encryption, access controls and data loss prevention policies.
- Data lifecycle management: retain, archive, delete and manage records in line with policy and regulation.
- Audit and eDiscovery: search, preserve, review and export information for investigations, disputes or compliance requests.
- Compliance management: monitor regulatory requirements, policy adherence and organisational risk posture.
- AI data governance: reduce oversharing, insider risk and sensitive data exposure before information is used by Copilot or other AI tools.
In one sentence
Microsoft Purview is designed to help organisations understand their data estate, protect sensitive information, meet compliance obligations and create a trusted data foundation for secure analytics and AI adoption.
