Tutorial / Cram Notes
Auditing and eDiscovery are two critical components within the field of information governance and compliance, especially in modern digital workplaces. These processes help organizations monitor and analyze their data to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and organizational standards.
Auditing in Microsoft 365
Auditing is the process of tracking and recording user activities and other system actions within an IT environment. In Microsoft 365, auditing enables organizations to monitor and investigate actions taken on their data across Microsoft services. This is crucial for security purposes and for fulfilling compliance and regulatory requirements.
Auditing functions in Microsoft 365 include the Unified Audit Log (UAL), which contains events from various Microsoft services such as SharePoint, Exchange, Dynamics 365, and Azure AD. The data captured by UAL encompasses file accesses, system logins, administrative changes, and more.
For Microsoft 365, the following table highlights key auditing features:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Audit Logging | Automatically records various user, admin, system, and policy actions within Microsoft 365 services. |
| Audit Log Search | Allows administrators to search the unified audit log to find specific activities and analyze them for compliance and investigation purposes. |
| Alert Policies | Enables the creation of custom alerts that trigger notifications based on specific actions or events, enhancing the ability to respond to potential issues. |
| Retention Policies | Ensures that audit logs are retained for a specific amount of time, in accordance with organizational or regulatory requirements. |
Microsoft 365 auditing tools allow administrators to set up audit log retention policies, ensuring that logs are kept for as long as required, and to create custom alerts for certain activities which may require immediate attention.
eDiscovery in Microsoft 365
Electronic Discovery, or eDiscovery, is the process by which electronic data is sought, located, secured, and searched with the intent of using it as evidence in a legal case. eDiscovery can also be employed for information management, privacy, and records management within an organization.
Microsoft 365’s eDiscovery solutions are comprehensive and designed to handle the full spectrum of eDiscovery needs, from holding and retaining content to searching and exporting the relevant data.
Key eDiscovery features within Microsoft 365 include:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Content Search | A tool within the Microsoft 365 compliance center that allows an organization to search across mailboxes, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and more. |
| eDiscovery Cases | Provides a collaborative workspace for legal teams to manage the entire eDiscovery process, from legal hold notifications to the eventual export of data. |
| Hold Policies | Ensures that data (emails, documents, etc.) is preserved in its current state when it’s anticipated to be part of litigation—a process known as a “legal hold”. |
| Advanced eDiscovery | Offers additional capabilities such as identifying and exporting relevant data, analyzing document patterns, and managing large datasets for reviews. |
With Advanced eDiscovery, organizations can leverage machine learning and text analytics to reduce the volumes of data that need to be reviewed manually, enhance the relevance of documents presented, and cut down on the overall costs and time spent on eDiscovery.
In practice, organizations may use auditing and eDiscovery together. For instance, audit logs might show that a user accessed certain sensitive documents without authorization, and those documents may later become part of an eDiscovery request due to litigation involving data breaches.
The integration of both auditing and eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 allows for a seamless experience when monitoring, searching, retaining, and analyzing data across the organization’s Office 365 ecosystem. It simplifies the management of compliance risks and legal issues, ensuring that companies can efficiently respond to requests and preserve necessary information without hindering productivity.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: The primary purpose of auditing in Microsoft 365 is to modify user data without leaving a trace.
- Answer: False
The primary purpose of auditing is to track and record user activities and system events, providing a traceable log, not to modify user data.
True or False: eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is used exclusively for legal investigations.
- Answer: False
While eDiscovery is commonly used for legal investigations, it is also used for information governance, compliance, and record-keeping purposes.
Which of the following can be audited in Microsoft 365? (Select all that apply.)
- A) User login attempts
- B) Email forwarding rules
- C) Text formatting changes in a document
- D) File access and sharing events
Answer: A, B, D
Microsoft 365 auditing solutions record events like user login attempts, email forwarding rules, and file access/sharing activities, not text formatting changes in a document.
Microsoft 365 eDiscovery solutions allow you to perform which of the following tasks? (Select all that apply.)
- A) Search for content across various services
- B) Automatically resolve legal disputes
- C) Preserve content for legal holds
- D) Analyze data patterns for unusual behavior
Answer: A, C
eDiscovery solutions in Microsoft 365 allow you to search for content across different services and preserve content when it’s placed on legal hold, but they do not automatically resolve legal disputes or analyze data patterns for unusual behavior (security and compliance tools would handle the latter).
True or False: Only global administrators can configure audit log settings and manage audit data in Microsoft
- Answer: False
While global administrators can manage audit logs, other roles, like compliance administrators and auditors, can also be assigned audit log permissions.
True or False: Content searches in Microsoft 365 eDiscovery are able to find items across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams.
- Answer: True
Microsoft 365 eDiscovery content search feature is designed to search across various platforms, including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Microsoft Teams.
What is the retention period for audit logs in Microsoft 365 by default?
- A) 30 days
- B) 90 days
- C) 180 days
- D) 365 days
Answer: B
By default, the retention period for audit logs in Microsoft 365 is 90 days.
To use the advanced eDiscovery features in Microsoft 365, what is required?
- A) Microsoft 365 Business Basic subscription
- B) Microsoft 365 E5 subscription or E5 Compliance add-on
- C) No additional subscription; it’s included in all plans
- D) A third-party eDiscovery tool
Answer: B
Advanced eDiscovery features require an Office 365 or Microsoft 365 E5 subscription or an E5 Compliance add-on for other subscriptions.
True or False: You can put a legal hold on a user’s OneDrive for Business account using Microsoft 365 eDiscovery.
- Answer: True
You can use eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 to put a legal hold on a user’s OneDrive for Business account, as well as other data sources such as email and SharePoint sites.
Who can access the audit log data in Microsoft 365?
- A) Any user within the organization
- B) Only external auditors
- C) Users with the appropriate permissions
- D) Only global administrators
Answer: C
Users with the appropriate permissions, such as compliance administrators, auditors, or global administrators, can access the audit log data in Microsoft
True or False: SharePoint Online and Exchange Online must be manually configured to start auditing operations.
- Answer: False
Auditing is enabled by default in SharePoint Online and Exchange Online; however, some specific actions may require additional configuration.
Which Microsoft 365 compliance center tool is primarily used for eDiscovery?
- A) Compliance Manager
- B) Content Search
- C) Classification labels
- D) Risk management
Answer: B
Content Search in the Microsoft 365 compliance center is the primary tool used for conducting eDiscovery searches across Microsoft 365 data.
Interview Questions
What is eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
eDiscovery is a feature in Microsoft 365 that helps organizations identify, collect, and produce relevant content for legal matters.
What types of content can be discovered with eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
With eDiscovery in Microsoft 365, organizations can discover content in email, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Microsoft Teams.
How does eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 work?
eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 works by creating a case, adding members to the case, and then using keywords, conditions, and filters to identify and export relevant content.
What is a preservation policy in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
A preservation policy in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is a way to ensure that content is not deleted or modified while the eDiscovery process is ongoing.
How does eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 ensure privacy and security of discovered content?
eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 ensures privacy and security of discovered content by restricting access to case members, encrypting exported content, and providing audit logs of all activity.
What is the difference between core and advanced eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
Core eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is a basic version that is available to all customers, while advanced eDiscovery is a more comprehensive version that provides additional features and capabilities.
What is the purpose of case management in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
The purpose of case management in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is to organize and manage the eDiscovery process by tracking progress, managing members, and setting retention policies.
What is a review set in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
A review set in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is a subset of content that has been identified as relevant and is ready for review by legal professionals.
What is the purpose of eDiscovery export in Microsoft 365?
The purpose of eDiscovery export in Microsoft 365 is to package and export relevant content in a format that is appropriate for legal review and analysis.
Can eDiscovery searches be run across multiple Microsoft 365 tenants?
Yes, eDiscovery searches can be run across multiple Microsoft 365 tenants using the eDiscovery search tool in the Security and Compliance Center.
What is a query preview in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
A query preview in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is a way to review search results before exporting content, in order to refine the search criteria and ensure that the results are relevant.
How does eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 integrate with Microsoft Teams?
eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 integrates with Microsoft Teams by allowing organizations to search for relevant content in Teams channels and chats.
What is a deduplication policy in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
A deduplication policy in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is a way to remove duplicate content from search results in order to streamline the eDiscovery process.
Can eDiscovery searches be performed across hybrid environments?
Yes, eDiscovery searches can be performed across hybrid environments that include on-premises servers and Microsoft 365 services.
What is the purpose of legal hold in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365?
The purpose of legal hold in eDiscovery in Microsoft 365 is to ensure that content is not deleted or modified during the eDiscovery process, even if a preservation policy is not in place.
Can someone explain what eDiscovery solutions are in Microsoft 365?
How does auditing work within Microsoft 365?
Thanks for the post, it helped me a lot!
Are the eDiscovery capabilities included in all Microsoft 365 plans?
Is it possible to automate auditing reports?
Appreciate the detailed explanations.
What are some best practices for using eDiscovery effectively?
Can I track changes made by admin users specifically?