Introduction
As organizations adopt AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, keeping sensitive data safe becomes both more difficult and more important. The Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI offers a clear and practical framework to help you protect your data, reduce risks, and stay compliant across your AI environment.
Here are five key steps to strengthen your data security:
Step 1: Gain Full Visibility into AI Data Flows
Start by using Microsoft Purview DSPM to discover where and how AI tools are interacting with your organizational data. The platform offers centralized dashboards and easy-to-use reports, giving you deep insights into AI usage across Microsoft and third-party apps. This visibility is the foundation for identifying potential risks and understanding your data exposure.
It gives you the insight needed to protect sensitive information, reduce risk, and make informed decisions about AI governance. This visibility is the essential first step in building a secure, responsible AI environment.
Step 2: Classify and Protect Sensitive Information
Leverage DSPM’s automated data classification and labeling to identify sensitive content such as personal data, financial records, or intellectual property being accessed or processed by AI. By assigning sensitivity labels and enforcing access policies, you ensure that only trusted users and AI tools can handle this data. This helps reduce the risk of unintended exposure and keeps your organization aligned with data protection regulations.
Step 3: Monitor for Policy Violations and Shadow AI
Set up continuous monitoring to detect policy violations, such as oversharing or unauthorized access, in real-time. DSPM also helps you identify “shadow AI” which refers to unapproved or unmanaged AI tools that may introduce new risks. Automated alerts and recommendations enable you to respond quickly and remediate issues before they escalate.
When DSPM detects a policy violation or risky behaviour, it generates automated alerts and provides actionable recommendations for remediation. For example, if a user tries to paste confidential information into an unapproved AI chatbot, DSPM can warn the user, block the action, or notify security teams in real-time. This rapid response capability helps you address issues before they escalate into larger problems, reducing the risk of data breaches or compliance failures.
Step 4: Enforce Data Loss Prevention Controls
Implement policy-based protections using Microsoft Purview’s built-in or custom DLP policies. These controls can restrict AI apps from processing or sharing sensitive information, block risky actions like pasting confidential data into ChatGPT, and ensure that AI usage aligns with your organization’s compliance requirements.
Step 5: Analyse, Report, and Continuously Improve
Microsoft Purview’s Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI offers a robust dashboard that empowers organizations to not only monitor but also enhance their data security posture in the age of AI.
The DSPM for AI dashboard provides deep insights into how AI tools interact with your organization’s data. It consolidates data from Microsoft Copilot, third-party AI apps like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, and other AI-powered services and gives you a unified view of all AI-related activities.
You can regularly review recommendations and assessment reports to identify gaps and areas for improvement. This ongoing process ensures your data security posture keeps pace with evolving AI risks and regulatory demands.
Conclusion
As organizations increasingly rely on AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, safeguarding sensitive data becomes more complex yet crucial. Microsoft Purview’s DSPM for AI provides a structured, approach to address these challenges.
Organizations can effectively reduce risks and maintain compliance by:
- Gaining full visibility into AI data flows
- Classifying and protecting sensitive information
- Continuously monitoring for policy violations and shadow AI
- Enforcing data loss prevention controls
- Leveraging analytics for ongoing improvement
This comprehensive framework ensures that data security keeps pace with the rapid evolution of AI, enabling businesses to innovate responsibly and protect their most valuable information.
