Microsoft Purview for Azure Data Lake and Blob Storage

Maxime Hiez
Purview
21 Feb, 2025

Introduction

Microsoft announced that Microsoft Purview protection policies for Azure Data Lake and Blob Storage are now available in all regions. This advancement allows organizations to strengthen data governance and protect sensitive information in a consistent and automated manner.

Data governance challenges

Organizations face a critical challenge : ensuring consistent and automated data governance across rapidly expanding data sets. With the growth of AI and increased reliance on volumes of data for training models, data and security leaders must prevent unintended exposure of sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII) and credit card information.

Secure storage solutions

Azure Blob Storage and Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) provide scalable, secure, and highly available cloud storage solutions. Although solutions like role-based access control (RBAC), attribute-based access control (ABAC), and access control lists (ACLs) help manage data access securely, they often operate on metadata such as file paths, tags, or container names. However, there are scenarios where it is necessary to implement automatic access controls based on the sensitivity of the content itself.

Microsoft Information Protection (MIP)

This is where integrated solutions like Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) come into play. MIP protection policies allow organizations to scan and label data based on the content stored in blobs. This allows access controls to be applied directly to the content of data assets across storage accounts. By eliminating the need for internal scanning and labeling, MIP simplifies compliance and helps enforce consistent data governance using a centralized solution.

Benefits of Microsoft Purview Protection Policies

Microsoft Purview protection policies provide several key benefits :

Automation : Protection policies automate the classification and protection of sensitive data, reducing the risk of human error.
Consistency : They ensure consistent application of security policies across all regions and storage accounts.
Efficiency : By centralizing the management of protection policies, organizations can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.
Compliance : Policies help comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA.

Conclusion

The availability of Microsoft Purview protection policies for Azure Data Lake and Blob Storage in all regions represents a significant advancement for data governance and protection of sensitive information. This solution allows organizations to manage their data efficiently, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and maintaining security and customer trust.