Microsoft provides a powerful suite of tools to protect data when it is within your organisation’s perimeters. But what about when your data gets sent out into the world?
Traditionally it was almost impossible to stay in control of any information that left your servers – whether it was emailed, printed, downloaded to a USB stick, or copied and pasted from one document to another. There was very little you could do to stop people from misusing your information.
But things have changed. Microsoft now provides a powerful selection of services that come under the umbrella of ‘Windows Information Protection’ (WIP). This gives you several ways to maintain control of organisational data even once it is outside the business.
In a recent webinar, we described how you can begin using WIP:
- You first need to classify and label all documents
- You should then protect it with appropriate levels of encryption
- You must apply identity and permissions to all content
- And you need to track your data wherever it goes
Watch the webinar now to learn exactly how this works.
Free security eBook: The Microsoft 365 Secure Score
5 scenarios where Windows Information Protection helps you
If you have already implemented identity controls and security of your devices and network, controlling your data is the final piece of the puzzle. Here are five scenarios that show just how valuable this can be.
- A disgruntled employee
Claire has just been told that your company is letting her go. She is resentful and decides to email some top-secret IP documents to one of your competitors. Because she has the right identity credentials and is accessing the content from an approved device, she could viably send that information. But, if you are using Windows Information Protection, the danger is avoided.
When she tries to attach the files to an email, the system immediately alerts her to the fact that these documents should not be shared externally. When Claire tries to send them anyway, this sends an alert to your head of information management who reviews the email and stops it from being sent.
- Need to know
Tom needs to send a sensitive document to one of your company’s partners. He tries to send a link but gets a reminder that he should think twice before sending it. In this case, it is fine for him to send the document, but your company wants to control what the external partner does with that information.
With WIP, permissions can be applied to the document which defines what can and cannot be done with it. In this case, the email recipient can only review the document and is prevented from forwarding it, printing it, or copying any of its contents.
Get up to speed: Read an introduction to Microsoft 365 security
- Stolen device
Alison’s smartphone has just been stolen and she has access to your company’s OneDrive and email. The thief has realised he could extract valuable information and try and sell it on. Fortunately, WIP stops this from happening.
Because the device was registered with your IT department, they can set controls over how company data is used on the phone. It is impossible to copy and paste or take screenshots of any documents. This thwarts the thief immediately. Furthermore, once Alison realises her phone is missing, she immediately contacts the IT department who remotely disables all company content on the device.
- Left the company
Rahim left your company but still has access to numerous confidential documents that were downloaded onto his own personal laptop. Your business has BYOD policy which means that this was fine when he worked for you. Fortunately, WIP means you can stay in control of that data even when Rahim has moved on.
All of those documents are controlled through the Microsoft cloud, so as soon as Rahim’s device is next connected to the internet all those files are automatically deleted.
- Monitoring for shadow IT
Lucy has found a productivity app which she and some of her colleagues find useful for specific work tasks. Unfortunately, she has not checked with the IT department if she can actually use it and has been uploading non-sensitive documents to this platform. In the past it would have been almost impossible to know that this was happening.
Once again with WIP’s cloud app discovery tool, you have much more visibility over where your data is going in the cloud including in external applications that are not sanctioned by IT. You can then have a chat with Lucy and her team and try and find an alternative.
Get more control over your data
Protecting your company data is essential – wherever it is. Any leaks, whether intentional or accidental could cause your company serious damage. But, by carefully configuring WIP you minimise the risk of data getting into the wrong hands.
Watch our webinar to learn how to control your data with Microsoft tools, or contact us today if you have any questions.
