How to Secure Your Microsoft Purview for GDPR & How to Get the GDPR Compliance Seal

 

Protecting personal data under the European Union’s GDPR is crucial for any company using Microsoft Purview. If you want to know how to secure your Microsoft Purview for GDPR and how to get the GDPR badge/seal, follow the guidance and best practices below.

• Understand What GDPR Means: GDPR is a regulation that safeguards how companies collect, process, and store personal data of EU citizens. Non-compliance can result in major fines, so it’s essential to manage data responsibly and transparently.
• Discover and Classify Your Data with Microsoft Purview: Microsoft Purview helps you locate (discover) and organize (classify) sensitive personal data across your environment. Use built-in or custom Purview sensitivity labels to tag things like names, addresses, health details, and financial info. This is the first step: knowing what and where your personal data is.
• Set Up Strict Access Controls: Using Microsoft Purview, assign proper permissions. Ensure only authorized employees can access personal data. Use role-based access control (RBAC) and regularly review user permissions.
• Ensure Data Encryption: Encrypt personal data both at rest (stored) and in transit (when it’s moving). Purview integrates with Microsoft Azure encryption options to keep data unreadable to unauthorized people.
• Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies: Microsoft Purview provides DLP tools to prevent leaks of sensitive information. Set policies to detect and block unsafe sharing or sending of personal data, whether through email, files, or cloud apps.
• Respond to Data Subject Rights Requests: GDPR gives EU citizens rights like access to, correction of, or deletion of their personal data. Purview’s data catalog and auditing features make it easier to track, retrieve, and manage this data, ensuring rapid and accurate responses.
• Enable Audit Logging and Tracking: Purview lets you keep an audit log of data access and changes. These logs are vital during GDPR audits, as regulators often request proof that data is accessed and handled only by authorized users.
• Train Your Staff: Make sure all users and administrators understand GDPR data protection basics and how to securely use Microsoft Purview. This reduces human error, which is a leading source of security breaches.
• Document All Data Processing Activities: GDPR requires clear records of how data is processed. Use Purview workflow and reporting features to automate and document data handling processes.

 

Requirements & How to Get the GDPR Badge/Compliance Seal

 

There is no single “official” GDPR badge, but being able to prove GDPR compliance is important for external audits, partner trust, and regulator inspections. To pass an audit and get recognized for compliance, focus on these core requirements:

• Clear Data Mapping: Show that you know exactly what personal data you have, where it’s stored, and how it’s used. Microsoft Purview’s data mapping features are designed for this.
• Risk Assessment: Regularly assess and document potential data protection risks, and address them promptly (using tools within Purview and other controls).
• Policy Enforcement: Implement and regularly review security and privacy policies, using automated controls from Microsoft Purview (such as DLP, classification, and access management).
• Evidence for Auditors: Be ready with detailed reports (from Purview) showing how you handle data subject requests, data retention, and data deletion.
• Engage a GDPR Readiness Consultant: Teams often work with a consultancy such as OCD Tech to do a GDPR readiness assessment. They review your processes, provide a gap analysis, help you correct issues, and prepare you for audits.

After a readiness assessment and implementation of best practices, consultants like OCD Tech can help you acquire third-party certifications or seals based on established GDPR compliance frameworks. While the “badge” is not a legal requirement, these certifications show your commitment and readiness for regulatory checks.

 

What’s Most Important for GDPR Audit Success?

 

• Comprehensive Data Cataloging: Prove that all personal data is discovered and classified within Microsoft Purview.
• Access Restrictions: Show logs of access controls and regular reviews.
• Incident Response & Logging: Maintain up-to-date audit logs and demonstrate a tested incident response plan.
• Proof of Data Subject Request Processes: Evidence that you can fulfill requests like data deletion or data access quickly and accurately.

If you need help or an external readiness assessment on your route to secure Microsoft Purview for GDPR and obtaining the compliance badge/seal, consider consulting with OCD Tech.

By following these steps—using Microsoft Purview’s built-in features, documenting your processes, and leveraging expert help where needed—you can secure your environment, streamline compliance, and confidently demonstrate GDPR adherence.