When DLP policies are violated, a policy tip will appear alerting the user to the infringement. For example, if a user tries to share a document containing credit card information outside the organization, a policy tip might appear stating, “This item contains sensitive information and can’t be sent”.
Violation can occur due to multiple reasons like sharing sensitive information outside the organization, storing the data in unsecure locations, or failure to implement proper access controls on sensitive data.
2. Identifying and Investigating Data Loss Prevention Policy Violations
Microsoft 365 compliance center provides a comprehensive overview of DLP violations under the Data Loss Prevention dashboard.
- Navigate to the `Security & Compliance center` > `Data loss prevention` > `Dashboard`.
- Click on the `View reports` option to have a detailed report about the DLP policy matches.
Here, you can have an overview of DLP incidents in your organization for the last 90 days. The dashboard provides insights into top sensitive info types, top policy matches, and various trends related to the sensitive info detected.
In the report, Admins can inspect each policy violation to identify the severity of the violation and respective details.
3. Remediating Data Loss Prevention Policy Violations
Remediation of DLP policy violations involves taking actions to correct the violation and prevent any further non-compliance.
These actions can include automatically blocking sensitive information from being shared, notifying users of potential policy violations, or informing admins about the policy matches for further investigation.
To remediate policy violations:
- Navigate to the `Data loss prevention` > `Policy` section in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
- Select the policy you want to remediate and click on `Policy Settings`.
- Under `Policy Settings`, you can edit the rules/action for the policy and set the remediation actions for the policy match.
For example:
- Set the policy to notify the user about the potential violation before sensitive information is shared.
- Inform the admins about the policy matches for further investigation.
- Automatically block the sensitive information from being shared.
Data loss prevention policies are indispensable for ensuring robust information security in the complex and dynamic digital landscape. By correctly understanding and remediating data loss prevention policy violations, businesses can uphold their data privacy, meet compliance requirements, and preserve their integrity and reputation.
Though this process may appear complex at first, with the right understanding and skillset, it can significantly simplify the task. Preparing for the SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator exam will equip you with the necessary knowledge and expertise in Microsoft 365’s compliance and security features. It will build your proficiency in identifying, remediating, and preventing possible DLP policy violations.
Practice Test
True or False: The Microsoft 365 compliance center allows for creating, testing, and implementing data loss prevention (DLP) policies.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Microsoft 365 compliance center certainly enables the creation, testing, and enforcing of DLP policies.
Which of the following are steps to remediate data loss prevention policy violations in MS 365 compliance center?
- a) Reviewing the DLP policy
- b) Responding to DLP alerts
- c) Recovering lost data
- d) Reconfiguring the DLP policy
Answer: a, b, d
Explanation: To remediate DLP violations, one must review the violated DLP policy, respond to any alerts and may reconfigure the policy if necessary. Data recovery is not part of remediation.
True or False: DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center cannot be tested before they are applied.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The Microsoft 365 compliance center allows you to test DLP policies and get simulate results before they are fully enforced.
Which feature to remediate DLP violations flags the content but allows end users to override the tip?
- a) Block this content
- b) Send incident report
- c) Policy tip
- d) Audit this content
Answer: c) Policy tip
Explanation: The Policy tip feature does indeed alert users about potential violations but also affords them the opportunity to override the tip, if they have a business justification and understand the risks involved.
True or False: A specific remediation process is the only way to address DLP policy violations.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The most effective remediation process can depend on the nature of the violation and the business operation. Therefore, a specific remediation process might not work for all the violations.
What happens when a DLP policy is in “Test” mode?
- a) The policy is enforced and violations are acted upon.
- b) The policy is not enforced, but violations are monitored and reported.
- c) The policy is enforced but violations are not reported.
- d) No violations are detected or acted upon.
Answer: b) The policy is not enforced, but violations are monitored and reported.
Explanation: When a policy is in “Test “mode, it’s not enforced. However, it tracks potential DLP violations and reports them, thus enabling administrators to see the potential impact of the policy.
True or False: With Microsoft Information Protection & Governance, you cannot use sensitive information types in your DLP policies.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can indeed use sensitive information types within your DLP policies with MS Information Protection & Governance.
Which of the following is not a suitable response for a data loss prevention policy alert?
- a) Ignore
- b) Investigate
- c) Repair
- d) Recover
Answer: a) Ignore
Explanation: It is not appropriate to ignore a DLP policy alert because it could signal potential data loss or unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Which of the following can be a possible remediation when a DLP violation is detected?
- a) Shutting down the server
- b) Encrypting the data
- c) Deleting the data
- d) Reporting to law enforcement
Answer: b) Encrypting the data
Explanation: When a violation is detected, one potential remedial action could be to encrypt the sensitive data.
True or False: Policy Tips in Office apps are an integral part of DLP in Microsoft 365, adding an educational approach to remediation.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Policy Tips play a critical role by educating users in real time about potential violations when working with sensitive data, thereby promoting self-remediation.
Interview Questions
What is the first step to remediate data loss prevention policy violations in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
The first step is to go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center and choose ‘Data loss prevention’ under ‘Solutions’.
What can you do under the ‘Active alerts’ in the ‘Data loss prevention’ section of the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
Under ‘Active alerts’, you can view and sort through all active DLP policy violation alerts based on severity, status, or category.
What happens when you select an alert in the ‘Active alerts’ section?
When an alert is selected, its details are shown including the policy that was violated, the item that violated the policy, and the user who committed the violation.
How can you navigate to a policy violation from the Active Alerts tab?
You can navigate to a specific policy violation by clicking on the ‘View’ button under ‘Item violating’.
Can a user resolve a DLP policy violation themselves?
Yes, users often receive a policy tip in the context of the document library or in their desktop apps that explains the policy and provides a button to resolve the violation.
What action can you take if the user has not resolved the violation themselves?
If the user has not resolved the violation, you can override the policy by justifying this action.
How can you override a policy violation?
To override a policy violation, you need to go to the item that violated the policy, and choose the ‘Override’ button. Then provide a justification for this override.
Can you take bulk actions to resolve DLP policy violations?
Yes, from the Matching sensitive info types page, you can take bulk actions like marking as false positive, exempting the item, or overriding the policy.
What is the function of ‘Exemption’ in Remediate data loss prevention policy violations?
‘Exemption’ locks the item in its current state, so that no future policy updates or process runs affect it.
What happens if you mark an item as a ‘False positive’?
If an item is marked as a ‘False positive’, the item is not considered a match for the sensitive information type in future policy processing.
How can you generate a report of DLP policy violations?
You can generate a report by going to the ‘Reports’ tab in ‘Data loss prevention’ in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
Can you leverage machine learning to auto-classify sensitive data?
Yes, Microsoft uses machine learning and keyword queries to auto-classify sensitive data.
What is the purpose of sensitivity labels in data loss prevention?
Sensitivity labels allow users to manually classify sensitive data and help in enforcing protection settings such as encryption and marking.
What is the impact of ignoring a DLP policy violation alert?
Ignoring a DLP policy violation alert may result in the unchecked proliferation of sensitive data, potentially leading to data breaches or regulatory non-compliance.
Can you customize DLP policies according to your organization’s needs?
Yes, you can customize DLP policies to help protect your sensitive information and maintain regulatory compliance specific to your organization’s needs.
extutorials.com