Tutorial / Cram Notes
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Microsoft 365 helps an organization prevent the accidental or intentional exposure of sensitive information to unwanted parties. Deploying DLP policies is only the first step; reviewing and responding to alerts, events, and reports that these policies generate is crucial for maintaining the effectiveness and compliance of an organization’s DLP strategy.
Reviewing DLP Alerts and Events
When a DLP policy detects potentially unauthorized or atypical activity, such as sharing sensitive data outside the company, it generates an alert or event. Administrators and compliance officers can review these alerts and events in the Microsoft 365 compliance center by following these steps:
- Navigate to the Microsoft 365 compliance center through the Microsoft 365 admin portal.
- Go to “Data loss prevention” and select “Policy” to review the existing policies.
- Click on “Alerts” or “Reports” to view DLP alerts and events.
The alerts dashboard will show key details such as:
- Alert Name: The name of the alert that was triggered.
- Policy Name: The DLP policy that triggered the alert.
- Severity: The level of severity assigned to the alert (low, medium, high).
- Date and time: When the alert was generated.
- Activity: The activity which caused the alert.
- User: The user who performed the activity.
- Action taken: The action that the DLP rules took – for instance, blocking a file from being shared.
By clicking on a specific alert, you can access further details, including the context of the event, and incident reports which provide comprehensive information on the event triggering the alert.
Responding to DLP Alerts
Response to a DLP alert can involve several actions:
- Investigate: Review the content and context of the alert. Examine whether it was a false positive, a legitimate action, or a breach. For reliable assessments, administrators often need to check against the content matched, activity logs, and whether the same user frequently triggers similar alerts.
- Remediate: Depending on the outcome of the investigation, take action. Remediation actions may include notifying the user and their manager about the breach of policy, undoing the action (e.g., revoking shared links), or involving HR/legal teams in case of a serious incident.
- Adjust Policy: If an alert is deemed a false positive, the DLP policy may need fine-tuning. This could involve adjusting the rules or exceptions within the policy to reduce incorrect detections.
Reviewing DLP Reports
DLP reports offer an aggregate view of the information on matches to DLP policies over time. These reports can be used to gain insights into the overall effectiveness of DLP policies and to identify trends or patterns in data handling that might require attention. They include:
- DLP Incidents Report: Shows when and where sensitive information has been detected and if actions have been taken based on policy rules.
- DLP Policy Matches: Lists all the matches to the organization’s DLP policies.
- DLP False Positives and Overrides: Provides details about incidents that were flagged by DLP policies but were overridden by users or were false positives.
To effectively use reports, consider the following steps:
- In the compliance center, go to “Reports” > “Dashboard” to view the summary of DLP reports.
- To delve deeper into a specific report, select it to explore detailed views and trends.
- Use the filtering options to focus on specific date ranges, policies, or actions that are of interest.
Administrators can export these reports for further analysis and archiving purposes. Reports can be tailored to reflect information relevant to different audiences like IT departments or executive management.
Overall, the process of reviewing and responding to DLP alerts, events, and reports is crucial in safeguarding sensitive data and measuring the success of DLP policies within an organization. With regular assessment and adjustment of policies, an organization can ensure that it remains compliant with legal standards and protects its data from inadvertent or malicious leaks.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Data Loss Prevention (DLP) alerts in Microsoft 365 can only be reviewed and responded to from the Security & Compliance Center.
- Answer: False
Explanation: DLP alerts can be reviewed and responded to from the Microsoft 365 compliance center as well, not just the Security & Compliance Center.
What is the first step an admin should take when they receive a DLP alert?
- A. Ignore the alert
- B. Review the details of the alert
- C. Escalate the alert to senior management
- D. Disable the DLP policy that triggered the alert
Answer: B. Review the details of the alert
Explanation: The first step is to review the alert details to understand the context and determine the severity and required action.
True or False: DLP events are only logged when a policy is in the “Test” mode, not in the “Active” mode.
- Answer: False
Explanation: DLP events are logged when policies are in both “Test” and “Active” modes, to provide insights into policy violations and to help fine-tune policies.
Which of the following can be done using DLP reports in Microsoft 365?
- A. Track the number of incidents over time
- B. Identify repeat offenders
- C. Monitor the effectiveness of DLP policies
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: DLP reports can be used to track incidents, identify repeat offenders, and monitor the overall effectiveness of DLP policies.
True or False: In Microsoft 365, DLP reports are automatically emailed to the administrator on a daily basis.
- Answer: False
Explanation: DLP reports are not automatically emailed to administrators; however, admins can configure alert policies to send notifications for specific events.
When responding to a DLP alert, which of the following action should NOT be taken?
- A. Notifying the user involved
- B. Ignoring the alert if it seems to be a false positive
- C. Investigating the content that triggered the alert
- D. Adjusting the policy if necessary
Answer: B. Ignoring the alert if it seems to be a false positive
Explanation: All alerts should be investigated, even if they seem to be false positives, to avoid missing a potential data leak.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are typical components found in a DLP alert?
- A. User name of the person who triggered the alert
- B. A short, uninformative description of the alert
- C. Sensitive information that triggered it
- D. Advice on how to comply with the policy in the future
Answer: A. User name of the person who triggered the alert and C. Sensitive information that triggered it
Explanation: DLP alerts typically include details like the user name and the sensitive information involved to help in evaluating and acting on the alert.
True or False: When a DLP alert is resolved, it is automatically removed from the active alerts list.
- Answer: True
Explanation: Once a DLP alert is investigated and resolved, it is no longer listed as an active alert in the alerts dashboard.
What can a DLP policy tip prompt an end-user to do?
- A. Upgrade their Office 365 subscription
- B. Resolve the DLP policy violation themselves
- C. Override the policy if they have a justification
- D. Ignore the policy violation
Answer: C. Override the policy if they have a justification
Explanation: Policy tips can inform users of a policy violation and allow them to override the policy if they provide a valid business justification.
True or False: DLP reports only show data for the last 30 days.
- Answer: False
Explanation: DLP reports can be configured to show data for various time ranges, not just limited to the last 30 days.
How frequently can DLP report data be refreshed in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
- A. Real-time
- B. Daily
- C. Weekly
- D. Monthly
Answer: A. Real-time
Explanation: DLP report data can be refreshed in near real-time, allowing administrators to stay up-to-date with the latest information.
When a user attempts to share sensitive information in violation of a DLP policy, what is one possible automated response configured in the policy?
- A. The user’s account is immediately deleted
- B. The information is automatically shared with the compliance officer
- C. The sharing transaction is blocked and the user is notified
- D. The data is encrypted with a password only the admin knows
Answer: C. The sharing transaction is blocked and the user is notified
Explanation: DLP policies can be set up to automatically block the sharing of sensitive information and notify the user of the violation.
Interview Questions
What is DLP?
DLP stands for Data Loss Prevention. It’s a strategy for making sure that sensitive or critical information is not lost, misused, or accessed by unauthorized users.
How can I review and respond to DLP alerts and events?
You can use the DLP alerts and events feature in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. This feature lets you monitor, review, and respond to DLP policy violations.
What types of DLP reports are available in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
The Microsoft 365 compliance center provides several DLP reports, including incident reports, policy matches reports, sensitive information types reports, and activity summaries.
How can I view DLP reports in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
To view DLP reports, go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, select Reports, and then select DLP reports.
What is the difference between a DLP policy match and a DLP incident?
A DLP policy match occurs when an item matches the conditions specified in a DLP policy. A DLP incident occurs when a DLP policy match is detected and an alert is generated.
Can I customize DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
Yes, you can create custom DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. You can use a predefined template or create a policy from scratch.
What types of DLP functions does the Microsoft 365 compliance center look for?
The Microsoft 365 compliance center looks for DLP functions such as detecting sensitive information, preventing data leakage, blocking external sharing, and protecting sensitive data.
How can I test and tune my DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
You can use the test and tune feature in the Microsoft 365 compliance center to test and refine your DLP policies. This feature allows you to evaluate the impact of your policies on your organization’s data.
Can I create custom reports for my DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
Yes, you can create custom reports for your DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. You can customize the columns, filters, and groupings in the reports to suit your needs.
What should I do if I receive a DLP alert in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
If you receive a DLP alert, you should review the alert to determine if a violation has occurred. If a violation has occurred, you should take appropriate action, such as informing the user and correcting the problem.
How can I configure DLP policies in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
To configure DLP policies, go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, select Data loss prevention, and then select Policy.
What is a sensitive information type in the context of DLP?
A sensitive information type is a predefined pattern that matches a specific type of sensitive information, such as a credit card number or social security number.
Can I use custom sensitive information types in DLP policies?
Yes, you can create custom sensitive information types in the Microsoft 365 compliance center and use them in your DLP policies.
How can I monitor and review DLP incidents in the Microsoft 365 compliance center?
You can monitor and review DLP incidents by going to the Incidents tab in the Data loss prevention section of the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
What is the difference between an event and an alert in the context of DLP?
An event is a record of an activity that may or may not have violated a DLP policy. An alert is a notification that a DLP policy match has been detected and requires attention.
Thank you for this insightful blog post on reviewing and responding to DLP alerts, events, and reports!
Does anyone know how to customize DLP policy rules to reduce false positives?
I recently passed my MS-101 exam but found the DLP section particularly challenging.
Can someone explain the difference between a DLP alert and an event?
Great blog post! Helped me understand a lot about DLP best practices.
What are the best practices for responding to DLP alerts?
Is it possible to generate customized reports in Microsoft 365 for DLP incidents?
I found some of the sample questions for the MS-101 exam very confusing. Any tips?