It is crucial for ensuring precious data does not leak outside the organization. SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator certification empowers professionals with deep insights into DLP methods and practices. One invaluable tool for conducting DLP related activities is the Microsoft 365 compliance center’s Activity explorer.
Activity explorer provides a comprehensive view of activities related to data loss prevention in your organization.
It offers an in-depth analysis and visibility into your system, helps you track user behavior, monitor activities related to your Microsoft 365 data, and quickly respond to anomalous or potentially harmful scenarios.
The first step in using Activity explorer is to navigate to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, and from the left navigation under “Audit,” select Activity explorer. This will reveal a dashboard filled with different data points and filters that you can use to narrow down on specific types of activities.
The Activity explorer offers various filter categories like Activity, User, Device, Location, Data sensitivity, and Status.
By tweaking these filters, you can narrow down your search to find the exact data you need. For example, you can set the Activity filter to “DLP rule match” to find all instances where DLP rules were matched.
Exploring and analyzing data loss prevention activities gives you an overview of patterns and trends in the tracked activities. For instance, if an unusual amount of data is being uploaded or if sensitive information is being shared outside the organization, you can identify the anomaly with the help of these visuals and take necessary actions.
Additionally, you can also export the DLP match data to Advanced e-Discovery for further investigation.
Here’s how you can do it:
- After setting your preferred filters in Activity explorer, click on “Export current view.”
- The page will display the number of available items and their total size. Click on “Export.”
- After the export is completed, you can download the report.
However, keep in mind that only global administrators, compliance data administrators, compliance administrators, and security administrators can use Activity explorer.
Activity explorer also helps track the effectiveness of your user warning policies. Your user warning and policy tip policy can be set to show a policy tip if the content being shared matches any of your DLP policies. If a user overrides the policy tip, it gets logged in the Activity explorer as DLP tip override. This data can help in analyzing the effectiveness of DLP in your organization.
In conclusion, Activity explorer is a powerful tool for any Microsoft Information Protection Administrator
It helps monitor, track, and analyze data loss prevention activities. Proficient use of Activity explorer plays a significant role in managing data protection in an organization’s Microsoft 365 environment and acts as a tremendous assistive tool while preparing for the SC-400 certificate.
Practice Test
True or False: Activity Explorer in Microsoft 365 compliance centre provides a comprehensive view of data loss prevention (DLP) activities.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Activity explorer helps to analyze and get insights on data loss prevention activities across different locations such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams.
What is the main function of the Activity explorer in Microsoft 365 compliance centre?
- A. To create new data loss prevention policies
- B. To assist in risk assessment and compliance reporting
- C. To provide real-time threat analytics
- D. To monitor user activities and collaborations
Answer: B. To assist in risk assessment and compliance reporting
Explanation: Activity explorer primarily helps in risk assessment and compliance reporting by providing insights into users’ activities related to sensitive information across different locations.
True or False: You can export reports from Activity explorer to an Excel file for offline analysis.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Yes, you can export the data you see in the Activity explorer to an Excel file to perform more advanced data analysis or for archiving purposes.
Multiple Select: Which of the following activities can be monitored using the Activity explorer?
- A. File sharing activities
- B. File download activities
- C. Policy modification
- D. User login activities
Answer: A. File sharing activities, B. File download activities
Explanation: Activity explorer provides insight into detailed file activity including file sharing and download activities.
True or False: Activity explorer can be used to monitor data loss prevention activities in devices not connected to the company’s network.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Activity explorer monitors activities taking place only within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and therefore cannot monitor data loss prevention activities on non-connected devices.
Multiple Select: In which of the following locations does Activity explorer help to examine DLP activity?
- A. Exchange Online
- B. SharePoint Online
- C. On-Premise Servers
- D. OneDrive for Business
Answer: A. Exchange Online, B. SharePoint Online, D. OneDrive for Business
Explanation: Activity explorer helps to analyze and get insights on data loss prevention activities across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business, but not on-premise servers.
Single Select: Can you use Activity explorer to monitor and analyze email activities for DLP?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Yes, you can monitor and analyze email activities as the Activity explorer supports data loss prevention activities across Exchange Online.
True or False: Activity explorer provides real-time information on DLP activities.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Activity explorer provides near real-time information, allowing administrators to quickly identify, investigate, and respond to data loss prevention activities.
Single Select: Which Microsoft Office 365 service must be active to use Activity explorer?
- A. Office 365 E3
- B. Office 365 E1
- C. Office 365 Business Basic
- D. None of the above
Answer: A. Office 365 E3
Explanation: To use Activity explorer, a subscription to Office 365 E3 or higher is needed as it provides integrated solution for DLP activities.
True or False: It is possible to filter and view activities based on severity in the Activity explorer.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Yes, you can filter events based on severity, enabling you to quickly identify and respond to high-risk activities.
Interview Questions
What is Activity Explorer in Microsoft 365 compliance?
Activity Explorer provides access to user and admin activity data from various Microsoft 365 services in a centralized location, streamlining the investigation process.
What is the role of Activity Explorer in data loss prevention (DLP)?
In DLP, Activity Explorer enables you to see and investigate DLP policy matches, overrides, false positives, and more. You can filter this activity by user, date, activity, and other parameters to get a clearer view of your DLP landscape.
What are the steps to access Activity Explorer?
To access Activity Explorer, go to Microsoft 365 compliance center, then select Reports and then Activity explorer.
Can you use Activity Explorer for investigating DLP policy matches and overrides?
Yes, you can use Activity Explorer to effectively investigate DLP policy matches and overrides, which helps in identifying breach attempts, policy effectiveness, and areas that may need refinement.
How can you filter data in Activity Explorer?
You can filter data by various parameters such as date and time, user, activity, item type or risk level.
Can you export Activity Explorer data?
Yes, data from Activity Explorer can be exported to a CSV file for further analysis or record-keeping.
How long is data retained in Activity explorer?
Data is retained for 90 days in Activity Explorer.
Can you view emails that match a DLP policy in Activity Explorer?
Yes, you can view emails triggering a DLP policy match in Activity Explorer. However, the email’s content can only be viewed by previewing the email in the app in which it resides.
Which services feed data into Activity Explorer?
Activity explorer receives data from several sources including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams and more.
Can Activity Explorer show activities related to sensitivity labels?
Yes, Activity Explorer can provide insights on activities related to sensitivity labels including application, change or removal of these labels.
Can third-party applications activity data be seen in Activity Explorer?
No, as of now, Activity Explorer only displays the activities from Microsoft applications and services.
How real-time is the data in Activity Explorer?
Data in the Activity Explorer has a lag time of 24-48 hours.
Can Activity Explorer be used for auditing purposes?
Yes, Activity Explorer can be used for auditing as it provides a historical record of activities which can be filtered by various parameters.
Would data from on-premises servers appear within Activity Explorer?
No, Activity Explorer only contains activity data from connected cloud services under Microsoft 365.
Can all users in an organization access Activity Explorer?
No, only users with appropriate permissions such as Global admins, Compliance admins, or Compliance data admins can access Activity Explorer.
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