SC-400T00: Administering Compliance and Data Protection in Microsoft 365
Learn how to protect information in your Microsoft 365 deployment. This course focuses on data lifecycle management and information protection, and compliance within your organization. The course covers implementation of data loss prevention policies, sensitive information types, sensitivity labels, data retention policies, Microsoft Purview Message Encryption, audit, eDiscovery, and insider risk, among other related topics. The course helps learners prepare for the Microsoft Information Protection Administrator exam (SC-400).
Who Should Attend
The information protection administrator translates an organization’s risk and compliance requirements into technical implementation. They are responsible for implementing and managing solutions for content classification, data loss prevention (DLP), information protection, data lifecycle management, records management, privacy, risk, and compliance. They also work with other roles that are responsible for governance, data, and security to evaluate and develop policies to address an organization’s risk reduction and compliance goals. This role assists workload administrators, business application owners, human resources departments, and legal stakeholders in implementing technology solutions that support the necessary policies and controls.
Why Choose This Training
This course provides an in-depth hands-on experience with Microsoft Purview and related Microsoft 365 compliance technologies. Learners gain the skills required to configure and manage comprehensive data protection, lifecycle, and compliance solutions. Through labs, real-world examples, and expert instruction, attendees are prepared for real scenarios and certification success.
Course Prerequisites
Foundational knowledge of Microsoft security and compliance technologies
Basic knowledge of information protection concepts
Understanding of cloud computing concepts
Understanding of Microsoft 365 products and services
Know Your Data
Understanding where your data resides, how it is accessed, and how it flows is critical for building an effective information protection and governance strategy. Microsoft Purview provides tools to discover and classify data across your Microsoft 365 environment. This includes built-in and custom sensitive information types, trainable classifiers, and analytics tools to analyze label usage and data behavior.
Protect Your Data
Data protection involves applying the right controls to prevent unauthorized access and ensure compliance with organizational policies. Microsoft Purview allows organizations to apply sensitivity labels, encryption, and access restrictions based on data classification and context. Labels can be configured to trigger automatic encryption or apply usage restrictions.
Prevent Data Loss
Preventing data loss is a key part of compliance. Microsoft Purview provides a suite of DLP tools that help prevent the accidental or intentional sharing of sensitive information. Policies can be tailored to identify and respond to specific data types, user behaviors, or risk patterns.
Govern Your Data
Data governance ensures that information is retained and disposed of in a compliant manner. Microsoft Purview provides capabilities to configure retention labels and policies that align with legal and regulatory obligations. It also supports record management and event-based retention, enabling organizations to meet records compliance requirements.
Classify Data for Protection and Governance
Data classification is foundational to both protection and governance strategies. Microsoft Purview allows you to classify content through multiple mechanisms, including built-in classifiers, trainable classifiers, and sensitivity labels. Classification helps define how data should be protected and retained.
Classify Data Using Sensitive Information Types
Sensitive information types (SITs) are templates that recognize patterns such as credit card numbers or national IDs. Built-in SITs cover common global standards, and custom SITs can be created to meet unique business requirements. These types trigger actions in DLP and sensitivity label policies.
Classify Data Using Trainable Classifiers
Trainable classifiers use machine learning to identify data based on examples rather than fixed patterns. Admins upload samples, train the classifier, and test it across their environment. This enables nuanced identification of complex or organization-specific data types.
Review Sensitive Information and Label Usage
After classifying data, it is essential to review how labels and sensitive information types are being applied. Microsoft Purview provides dashboards and reports to analyze label usage, enabling policy refinement and validation of effectiveness.
Explore Labeled and Sensitive Content
Admins can search for and view content that has been classified or labeled. This exploration allows for detailed insight into where sensitive data resides and how it is being used. It is also useful for auditing and compliance verification.
Understand Activities Related to Your Data
Microsoft Purview provides auditing and activity tracking features that allow you to monitor how sensitive or labeled data is accessed, modified, or shared. This helps identify risky behaviors and enforce policy adherence.
Create and Manage Sensitive Information Types
Built-in SITs provide a quick way to detect standard sensitive data, while custom SITs are tailored to specific organizational needs. Understanding the strengths and limitations of both helps determine when to extend beyond built-in options.
Create and Manage Custom Sensitive Information Types
Creating custom SITs involves defining patterns, keywords, and confidence levels. Microsoft Purview allows for flexible rule creation, including proximity, keyword match, and checksum validation. Admins can test and tune SITs before deployment.
Describe Custom Sensitive Information Types with Exact Data Match
Exact Data Match (EDM) enhances precision by comparing content to a hashed dataset of known values. EDM is suitable for scenarios like matching employee IDs or customer account numbers where accuracy is critical.
Implement Document Fingerprinting
Document fingerprinting allows organizations to detect documents that match a specific format or structure. It is useful for proprietary templates or standard forms and enhances DLP accuracy by identifying unstructured data.
Describe Named Entities
Named entities are advanced classifiers that identify structured entities like names, addresses, or organizations. These help in scenarios requiring contextual classification or pattern recognition across multiple data sources.
Create Keyword Dictionary
Keyword dictionaries enable the detection of custom keywords or phrases. They are flexible tools that can be applied to DLP or classification policies. Dictionaries can be updated easily to reflect evolving business terms or compliance language.
Create and Configure Sensitivity Labels with Microsoft Purview
Sensitivity Label Overview
Sensitivity labels allow you to classify and protect data based on its sensitivity. Labels can be applied manually by users or automatically through policies. They form the foundation of data protection in Microsoft Purview, determining how content should be accessed, encrypted, and retained.
Create and Configure Sensitivity Labels and Label Policies
Creating sensitivity labels involves defining the classification criteria and configuring protection settings such as encryption, watermarking, and content marking. Label policies control how these labels are published and who can use them. Microsoft Purview allows for label scoping, priority setting, and user-specific configurations.
Configure Encryption with Sensitivity Labels
Encryption settings within a sensitivity label define how access to labeled content is controlled. You can specify users or groups who can access the content, set expiration dates, and allow offline access. This ensures that sensitive data remains secure, even when shared externally.
Implement Auto-labeling Policies
Auto-labeling policies enable the automatic application of sensitivity labels based on conditions such as content matching specific sensitive information types or keywords. This reduces user burden and increases consistency in labeling sensitive information across your environment.
Use the Data Classification Dashboard to Monitor Sensitivity Labels
The data classification dashboard provides insights into how sensitivity labels are used within the organization. Admins can view label distribution, content types, and trends to refine policies and ensure compliance with data protection goals.
Apply Sensitivity Labels for Data Protection
Sensitivity labels are deeply integrated into Microsoft 365 applications and services. They provide persistent protection, following content across locations and maintaining classification even when data is copied or moved.
Manage Sensitivity Labels in Office Apps
Users can manually apply sensitivity labels in Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Label application prompts can guide users, and policies can enforce label usage before saving or sending content.
Apply Sensitivity Labels with Copilot for Microsoft 365 for Secure Collaboration
Copilot integration ensures that AI-generated content respects sensitivity labels and complies with organizational policies. Labels applied to source content propagate to Copilot outputs, maintaining consistent data protection.
Protect Meetings with Sensitivity Labels
Sensitivity labels can also be applied to meetings in Microsoft Teams. Labels restrict access to meeting content, limit forwarding, and enforce lobby settings, ensuring sensitive discussions are properly secured.
Apply Sensitivity Labels to Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, and SharePoint Sites
Admins can configure labels that define privacy settings, guest access, and external sharing controls for Teams, Groups, and SharePoint sites. This extends data protection beyond documents to collaboration environments.
Prevent Data Loss in Microsoft Purview
Data Loss Prevention Overview
Data loss prevention (DLP) policies identify and protect sensitive information from unauthorized sharing. Microsoft Purview enables the creation of targeted DLP policies based on user actions, locations, and content types.
Identify Content to Protect
Organizations can define the types of content to monitor, such as credit card numbers or personal health information. Using sensitive information types, trainable classifiers, and custom rules, DLP policies can detect specific content patterns.
Identify Sensitive Data with Optical Character Recognition (Preview)
OCR capabilities in Microsoft Purview allow for the detection of sensitive information in images and scanned documents. This expands DLP coverage to include unstructured data and non-text formats.
Define Policy Settings for Your DLP Policy
DLP policies include conditions, actions, user notifications, and incident reports. Policies can block content, send alerts, or educate users with policy tips when risky behavior is detected.
Test and Create Your DLP Policy
Policies can be deployed in test mode to evaluate their effectiveness without enforcing actions. Admins can analyze policy matches and refine rules before moving to enforcement mode.
Prepare Endpoint DLP
Endpoint DLP extends protection to Windows 10/11 devices, monitoring and controlling file activities such as copying to USB, printing, or uploading to cloud services. It ensures consistent DLP across endpoints.
Manage DLP Alerts in the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal
Alerts generated by DLP policies are visible in the compliance portal. Admins can investigate incidents, take corrective action, and escalate issues as needed.
View Data Loss Prevention Reports
Reporting dashboards provide visibility into DLP policy effectiveness, incident trends, and policy matches. Reports help organizations measure compliance, identify training needs, and refine policies.
Implement the Microsoft Purview Extension
The Purview extension for Edge and Chrome browsers helps enforce DLP policies on web uploads, form entries, and cloud services. It extends data protection to browser-based activities and increases control over user actions.
Configure DLP Policies for Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Power Platform
Power Platform applications, including Power Apps and Power Automate, can expose sensitive data if not properly governed. DLP policies control which connectors can be used and which environments can access sensitive data.
Integrate Data Loss Prevention in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps allows integration of DLP policies for SaaS applications like Dropbox, Salesforce, and Box. Policies can block or quarantine risky content and alert administrators in real time.
Configure Policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Admins can configure custom policies for file sharing, risky user behavior, and data exfiltration. These policies use built-in templates or custom logic to monitor user activities and enforce compliance.
Manage Data Loss Prevention Violations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Violations are logged in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps portal. Admins can investigate incidents, apply automated remediation actions, and collaborate with stakeholders to address policy breaches.
Manage Data Loss Prevention Policies and Reports in Microsoft 365
In environments with multiple DLP policies, precedence defines the order in which policies are applied. Admins must carefully design and test the policy hierarchy to ensure the desired outcome.
Implement Data Loss Prevention Policies in Test Mode
Running policies in test mode allows you to simulate real-world conditions and identify potential issues without impacting users. It’s a best practice for all new or modified policies.
Explain Data Loss Prevention Reporting Capabilities
Microsoft 365 provides robust DLP reporting through the compliance portal, Power BI, and activity logs. Reports include match details, user actions, and policy outcomes, enabling continuous improvement.
Manage Permissions for Data Loss Prevention Reports
Access to DLP reports can be restricted using role-based access control. This ensures sensitive incident data is only available to authorized personnel and supports privacy requirements.
Manage and Respond to Data Loss Prevention Policy Violations
Responding to DLP violations involves investigating alerts, educating users, and adjusting policies. Admins can escalate incidents, document resolution steps, and integrate with case management systems for tracking.
Apply Sensitivity Labels for Data Protection
Sensitivity labels are at the heart of Microsoft Purview’s data protection strategy. They enable classification and protection of data based on content and context, providing persistent protection that travels with the document or email. Labels integrate deeply with Microsoft 365 apps, allowing users to manually or automatically apply them based on predefined conditions. Sensitivity labels work across SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange, and Microsoft Teams, offering comprehensive protection regardless of where the data resides.
Manage Sensitivity Labels in Office Apps
Users can apply sensitivity labels directly in Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The labels may enforce encryption, watermarking, and visual markings or restrict actions like copy, print, and forwarding. Admins can configure whether labels are mandatory, recommend certain labels based on content, or allow users to downgrade a label based on business justifications. Integration into Office ensures end-user productivity while maintaining compliance.
Apply Sensitivity Labels with Microsoft Copilot for Secure Collaboration
With the integration of Microsoft Copilot, users can engage with documents using AI while ensuring sensitive data remains protected. Sensitivity labels applied to documents dictate how Copilot can interact with content. For instance, a label that restricts external sharing or limits editing will also apply those controls to AI-generated summaries or responses. This prevents unintentional data leakage through AI-assisted features and maintains policy compliance.
Protect Meetings with Sensitivity Labels
Microsoft Teams meetings can now be protected using sensitivity labels. When a label is applied to a meeting, it can enforce restrictions such as preventing meeting recording, controlling chat features, and restricting participant access. This functionality is essential for discussions involving sensitive business strategies, personal data, or regulatory content. Labels ensure that even collaboration events like meetings adhere to organizational compliance frameworks.
Apply Sensitivity Labels to Microsoft Teams, Groups, and SharePoint Sites
Admins can apply sensitivity labels not only to files and emails but also to entire Microsoft 365 Groups, including Teams and SharePoint sites. These labels govern settings such as guest access, external sharing, and privacy level (public or private). When a labeled group is created, the settings derived from the label are enforced automatically, helping prevent misconfigurations and reducing compliance risks.
Prevent Data Loss in Microsoft Purview
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Microsoft Purview helps organizations protect sensitive information from accidental or malicious leaks. DLP policies can be scoped to specific users, locations, or workloads such as Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and endpoints. Each policy consists of conditions (like keyword matches or sensitive information types), actions (block, notify, encrypt), and user education mechanisms. DLP is a proactive tool that ensures organizational data handling complies with internal and external regulations.
Identify Content to Protect
Before deploying DLP, organizations must identify the types of content that require protection. This involves auditing existing data, mapping business processes, and engaging with compliance stakeholders. Microsoft Purview provides tools like Content Explorer and Activity Explorer to aid in the discovery and understanding of data usage patterns. Proper identification allows for targeted and efficient policy creation, minimizing disruption to users while maximizing security.
Identify Sensitive Data with Optical Character Recognition (Preview)
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) allows DLP to detect sensitive data within image files such as scanned documents, screenshots, and photos. This capability expands the reach of data protection policies beyond text-based content. For example, OCR can detect a scanned driver’s license in an uploaded PDF and trigger a DLP rule. As more content is visual, OCR ensures policies address real-world information risks.
Define Policy Settings for Your DLP Policy
Creating a DLP policy involves selecting locations, conditions, actions, and user notifications. Admins can define thresholds for rule enforcement (such as a minimum number of sensitive items before action is triggered) and specify policy tips to educate users on why an action is blocked or monitored. Policies can escalate actions, such as reporting to admins or requiring business justification for overrides. Settings should align with organizational tolerance for risk and compliance requirements.
Test and Create Your DLP Policy
Microsoft Purview supports testing DLP policies in audit mode, allowing organizations to observe their impact before full enforcement. During testing, incidents are logged, but no actions are taken. This mode is valuable for fine-tuning rules and ensuring minimal false positives. Once validated, the policy can be switched to enforce mode. Continuous monitoring and refinement post-deployment ensure long-term policy effectiveness.
Prepare Endpoint DLP
Endpoint DLP extends protection to Windows 10 and 11 devices, allowing for real-time monitoring and blocking of risky behaviors like copying sensitive data to USB drives, printing, or uploading to unmanaged cloud services. Configuration includes deploying the MDE agent, enrolling devices, and applying policy settings. Endpoint DLP enhances visibility and control over how data leaves the organization, especially in remote or hybrid work environments.
Manage DLP Alerts in the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal
Alerts generated by DLP violations appear in the compliance portal, where security and compliance officers can review, investigate, and act. The portal provides filtering options, incident timelines, and remediation workflows. Alerts are color-coded by severity and include metadata such as user, location, file, and action. Efficient alert management ensures a timely response to potential data breaches.
View Data Loss Prevention Reports
Microsoft Purview includes rich reporting tools for analyzing DLP effectiveness. Reports include metrics on policy matches, actions taken, user overrides, and trends over time. These insights help identify gaps in coverage, areas of high risk, and user education opportunities. Reports can be customized and exported for audit purposes or shared with executive stakeholders.
Implement the Microsoft Purview Extension
The Purview Extension enhances the DLP experience by surfacing policy tips and warnings directly within user workflows. For example, when composing an email or uploading a document, users receive real-time feedback about potential violations. This fosters a culture of compliance and reduces accidental data loss. Extensions also support dynamic updates, ensuring that users always receive the latest policy guidance.
Configure DLP Policies for Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps and Power Platform
Power Platform, which includes Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Apps, can also be governed through DLP policies. Admins can define which connectors are allowed in specific environments and control data flow between systems. For instance, blocking the use of social media connectors when sensitive data is detected ensures compliance without hindering innovation. These controls support low-code development within secure boundaries.
Integrate Data Loss Prevention in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (MDCA) integrates with DLP to protect data in third-party SaaS applications like Dropbox, Salesforce, or Box. MDCA performs API-based scanning and real-time session monitoring to enforce DLP policies even outside Microsoft 365. Integration ensures uniform data protection across multi-cloud environments and strengthens the organization’s security posture.
Configure Policies in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Within MDCA, admins create policies targeting files, activities, or sessions. Policies can block downloads of sensitive content, send alerts for unusual behavior, or quarantine files. Each policy can leverage sensitive information types, user context, and activity type to determine risk. Combining contextual intelligence with DLP provides granular control and rapid response capabilities.
Manage Data Loss Prevention Violations in Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Violations are tracked in the MDCA dashboard, which includes analytics, incident management, and remediation tools. Admins can take direct action such as suspending sessions, revoking tokens, or quarantining files. Integration with Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Purview ensures that security events are visible across the organization and contribute to a cohesive compliance framework.
Manage Data Loss Prevention Policies and Reports in Microsoft 365
When multiple DLP policies apply to the same content, precedence determines which policy’s actions are enforced. Microsoft Purview allows admins to assign priority levels to policies to ensure critical protections are never overridden. Proper planning of policy hierarchy avoids conflicts and enforces the most restrictive rule when necessary.
Implement Data Loss Prevention Policies in Test Mode
Using test mode for DLP policies allows organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of policies without disrupting user activity. This mode records potential violations and simulates actions, giving compliance teams insight into policy behavior. Test mode is a critical step before deploying sensitive rules to production environments.
Explain Data Loss Prevention Reporting Capabilities
Reporting capabilities include built-in dashboards, incident summaries, activity timelines, and exportable data. These tools provide a comprehensive view of how data is handled across services. Reports can help demonstrate regulatory compliance during audits and support continuous improvement by highlighting trends and emerging risks.
Manage Permissions for Data Loss Prevention Reports
Access to DLP reports should be carefully controlled. Microsoft Purview allows RBAC (role-based access control) to restrict who can view or act upon sensitive data reports. Limiting access to authorized compliance or security roles prevents internal misuse and protects investigation integrity.
Manage and Respond to Data Loss Prevention Policy Violations
Once a DLP violation is detected, response processes should include alert review, user education, policy tuning, and, if necessary, disciplinary action. Microsoft Purview supports alert escalation, tagging, annotation, and automated response actions. Documenting each incident’s lifecycle ensures accountability and supports post-incident reviews.
Manage Compliance Center, Insider Risk, Information Governance, eDiscovery, and Audit.g
Microsoft 365 offers a robust compliance framework to help organizations meet internal standards and external regulatory obligations. The Compliance Center within Microsoft Purview is the central location for managing all compliance tasks, including data governance, risk management, auditing, and privacy controls.
Plan for Security and Compliance in Microsoft 365
Effective compliance begins with thorough planning. Organizations should identify applicable regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or SOX, and understand how Microsoft 365 tools can help meet those needs. Establishing compliance objectives early ensures configurations align with both business goals and legal mandates.
Plan Your Beginning Compliance Tasks in Microsoft Purview
Before implementing compliance solutions, it’s essential to assess the current data landscape. This includes discovering sensitive content, identifying potential risks, and evaluating existing policies. Tools such as Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager help provide a roadmap for improving your compliance posture with recommendations and control mapping.
Manage Your Compliance Requirements with Compliance Manager
Microsoft Compliance Manager simplifies the task of managing regulatory obligations. It provides a score-based dashboard that tracks improvement actions, maps controls to standards, and identifies gaps in compliance. Compliance Manager integrates with security signals and usage data to provide real-time status updates.
Examine the Compliance Manager Dashboard
The dashboard provides insights into your current compliance score and highlights areas of weakness. It includes assessments for various regulations and offers guidance on implementing specific improvement actions. The dashboard also helps prioritize tasks based on risk and importance.
Analyze the Microsoft Compliance Score
The compliance score quantifies your organization’s alignment with selected standards. This score updates dynamically as controls are implemented or policies adjusted. It offers an actionable benchmark to track ongoing compliance progress and to report to stakeholders.
Explore Content Search and Microsoft Purview eDiscovery Solutions.
Microsoft Purview provides integrated eDiscovery tools to identify, hold, and export content for legal and compliance investigations. There are two tiers—Standard and Premium—offering capabilities suited for different complexity levels.
Create a Content Search
Content search allows administrators to locate information across Microsoft 365 workloads, including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. Searches can be refined using keywords, metadata, and conditional filters. Search results can be previewed and exported for analysis.
View the Search Results and Statistics
Once a search completes, detailed statistics such as item count, data volume, and location breakdowns are provided. These insights help assess the scope of retrieved data and determine if additional queries are necessary.
Export the Search Results and Search Report
Search results can be exported in a secure, compliant manner. Reports include summaries, item-level metadata, and file listings. Exported content supports external analysis tools and satisfies legal requirements for evidence handling.
Configure Search Permissions Filtering
Search permissions filtering limits the scope of search results based on user access rights. This ensures that search administrators only see data they are authorized to access, enhancing privacy and preventing unauthorized exposure.
Search For and Delete Email Messages
In the event of a compliance breach or policy violation, Microsoft Purview allows administrators to search for and delete specific emails across user mailboxes. This functionality is crucial for rapid response to phishing attacks or accidental data leaks.
Manage Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Standard)
eDiscovery (Standard) enables organizations to create cases, place content on hold, and perform targeted searches within those cases. It supports basic workflows for legal holds, search, and export.
Create eDiscovery Holds
Legal holds prevent content from being deleted or modified, ensuring it remains available during investigations. Holds can be scoped by user, location, or condition, providing flexibility in data preservation.
Search For Content in a Case
Cases in eDiscovery (Standard) allow teams to collaborate on legal matters. Within a case, content searches can be defined, saved, and reused, supporting multiple investigative threads and discovery stages.
Export Content From a Case
Data collected in a case can be exported securely for external legal review. Export options include metadata extraction and downloadable reports, supporting compliance with evidentiary standards.
Close, Reopen, and Delete a Case
Cases can be closed once investigations are complete. Closed cases are archived but can be reopened if necessary. Deletion of cases should be governed by internal policy to ensure audit trails are maintained.
Manage Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium)
eDiscovery (Premium) offers advanced features like custodian management, non-custodial data source handling, and AI-driven analysis. It is designed for complex legal scenarios and regulatory investigations.
Implement Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium)
This solution expands standard capabilities by adding automation and richer analytics. It also enables legal teams to manage custodian communications and track acknowledgment of legal holds.
Create and Manage an eDiscovery (Premium) Case.
Premium cases allow more granular control over data collection and processing. Case settings include sensitivity options, hold parameters, and access controls, enabling comprehensive case management.
Manage Custodians and Non-Custodial Data Sources
Custodians are users whose data may be relevant to a case. Admins can define custodians and automatically place associated content on hold. Non-custodial sources include shared mailboxes or external data locations.
Analyze Case Content
Content analysis leverages machine learning to identify themes, relationships, and anomalies. This helps reduce review time by highlighting potentially relevant or risky data.
Search and Investigate with Microsoft Purview Audit
Audit capabilities in Microsoft Purview provide visibility into user and admin activities across Microsoft 365. Auditing supports both operational monitoring and forensic investigation.
Configure and Manage Microsoft Purview Audit
Audit must be enabled and configured to capture desired events. Configuration includes retention periods, access controls, and event selection. Organizations should align these settings with compliance and retention policies.
Conduct Searches with Audit (Standard)
Audit (Standard) captures common events such as file access, login activity, and mail operations. Searches can be filtered by date, user, activity type, and location to pinpoint relevant actions.
Audit Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 Interactions
Audit logs include interactions with Copilot, helping to ensure responsible AI use and data protection. This supports auditing of data requests and generated outputs.
Investigate Activities with Audit (Premium)
Audit (Premium) captures additional data, including sensitivity label changes, insider risk activity, and information barrier violations. It offers long-term retention and detailed event histories.
Export Audit Log Data
Search results from audit investigations can be exported for further analysis. Export formats support integration with SIEM tools and incident response platforms.
Configure Audit Retention with Audit (Premium)
Audit (Premium) allows for extended log retention beyond the standard 90 days. Retention can be customized based on regulatory requirements or internal data governance policies.
Prepare Microsoft Purview Communication Compliance
Communication compliance helps monitor internal and external communications to detect policy violations such as harassment, inappropriate language, or data leakage. Planning involves defining monitored channels and configuring alert thresholds.
Identify and Resolve Communication Compliance Workflow
The compliance workflow includes policy definition, alert generation, review, investigation, and resolution. Analysts review flagged messages and document actions taken.
Case Study: Configure an Offensive Language Policy
Organizations can deploy predefined templates to detect offensive language. These policies monitor email, Teams, and Yammer communications and trigger alerts when violations are detected.
Investigate and Remediate Communication Compliance Alerts
Alerts are managed in the compliance center, where reviewers assess message context, mark disposition, and escalate if necessary. Actions can include user coaching, HR escalation, or disciplinary measures.
Manage Insider Risk in Microsoft Purview
Insider risk solutions help detect and respond to threats from within the organization. Scenarios include data exfiltration, security violations, and inappropriate access to sensitive data.
Create and Manage Insider Risk Policies
Policies are based on templates aligned to specific risk types. Configuration includes scoping users, defining activity triggers, and setting risk thresholds. Policies can also be customized to industry-specific risks.
Investigate Insider Risk Alerts
Alerts triggered by policies are presented in a triage queue. Analysts investigate using timelines, user activity logs, and associated content. Investigations may result in actions or dismissals.
Take Action on Insider Risk Alerts Through Cases
Cases consolidate all alert data for a particular user or event, allowing deeper investigation and resolution tracking. Actions include notifying managers, applying policy changes, or initiating HR or legal review.
Manage Insider Risk Management Forensic Evidence
Forensic evidence, such as screen captures or command logs, can be collected to support investigations. Evidence is retained securely and access-controlled to ensure integrity.
Create Insider Risk Management Notice Templates
Templates standardize communications sent to users involved in investigations. Notices may include acknowledgment requirements, policy reminders, or instructions for corrective actions.
Implement Adaptive Protection in Insider Risk Management
Adaptive Protection dynamically adjusts data access and controls based on user risk levels. It provides real-time defense by scaling protections in proportion to risk severity.
Understand and Configure Risk Levels in Adaptive Protection
Risk levels are determined using machine learning models analyzing user behavior, location, activity frequency, and data sensitivity. Organizations can map controls to low, medium, or high-risk profiles.
Configure Adaptive Protection
Configuration includes selecting eligible users, setting detection thresholds, and defining enforcement actions. Adaptive Protection integrates with DLP, sensitivity labels, and conditional access.
Manage Adaptive Protection
Admins can monitor protection changes, assess policy effectiveness, and adjust sensitivity to reduce false positives or missed threats. Reports help understand how Adaptive Protection influences behavior.
Implement Microsoft Purview Information Barriers
Information barriers restrict communication and collaboration between user groups to prevent conflicts of interest, such as in legal, HR, or financial departments.
Configure Information Barriers in Microsoft Purview
Admins define segments, rules, and policies that control interactions. Configuration is supported by compliance center wizards that simplify setup and enforcement.
Examine Information Barriers in Microsoft Teams
Policies can block chat, calling, and meeting invites between segments. This supports compliance in regulated industries and enhances data separation.
Examine Information Barriers in OneDrive and SharePoint
Access to shared content and collaboration features can be restricted across segments. These barriers ensure sensitive data is not accessed by unauthorized departments or roles.
Manage Regulatory and Privacy Requirements with Microsoft Privacy
Microsoft Priva helps manage privacy risks such as overexposed personal data or unauthorized access. Policies detect violations and trigger alerts for remediation.
Investigate and Remediate Risk Management Alerts
Reviewers analyze alerts, determine the root cause, and take appropriate action, such as restricting access or updating data handling policies.
Create Rights Requests
Priva supports data subject rights (DSR) requests such as data access, deletion, and portability. Requests can be tracked and fulfilled within the required legal timelines.
Manage Data Estimate and Retrieval for Rights Requests
Priva provides tools to estimate data volume, identify relevant items, and retrieve content. This streamlines DSR processing and ensures an accurate response.
Review Data from Rights Requests
Once data is collected, it is reviewed for relevance and sensitivity before being provided to the requester. Redaction tools help maintain privacy where necessary.
Get Reports from Rights Requests
Reports summarize request status, response times, and compliance levels. These support auditing, quality control, and reporting obligations.
Implement Privileged Access Management
Privileged Access Management (PAM) restricts high-risk actions such as modifying retention policies or accessing mailboxes. Just-in-time access workflows ensure that privileged actions are temporary and auditable.
Manage Customer Lockbox
Customer Lockbox ensures that Microsoft support engineers cannot access customer content without explicit approval. This adds a layer of transparency and control, supporting stringent privacy requirements.
Final Thoughts
The SC-400: Microsoft Information Protection Administrator course provides a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of Microsoft’s powerful compliance, data protection, and information governance solutions. Through this course, learners gain the technical and strategic knowledge necessary to:
- Identify and classify sensitive information across their organization
- Apply protection and compliance controls using Microsoft Purview.
- Monitor and mitigate insider risks and communication violations.s
- Conduct effective audits and eDiscovery investigatio.ns
- Manage legal, regulatory, and privacy obligations in complex environments.
By mastering the capabilities of Microsoft Purview, learners are empowered to safeguard organizational data, uphold compliance standards, and proactively reduce risk. This course not only prepares individuals for the SC-400 certification exam but also equips them to become key contributors to an organization’s compliance and security strategy.
As organizations face increasing regulatory pressure and security threats, professionals skilled in Microsoft 365 compliance technologies are essential. Completing this training marks a critical step toward becoming a trusted compliance expert and making impactful contributions to information protection and risk management initiatives.