Securing Your Data for AI with Microsoft Purview

I'm continually surprised by how frequently people overlook the importance of establishing robust data governance from the outset. Without clear rules in place, organisations are left vulnerable to potential risks and the “baddies” can certainly have a lot of fun.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a great tool to revolutionise how businesses operate, but it also introduces new challenges, especially around data security and compliance. When sensitive information flows through AI models, the risk of data leaks, regulatory breaches, and misuse skyrockets. That’s why Microsoft Purview is essential in my opinion for organisations embracing AI responsibly.

Why AI Data Security Is Critical

AI tools often process confidential data—customer details, intellectual property, financial records. Without proper safeguards, this data can:

• Leak through AI prompts or outputs.
• Violate compliance standards like GDPR or HIPAA.
• Be exposed via shadow AI tools or insider threats.

The solution? A governance-first approach that ensures data security without slowing innovation.

While there are many tools to assist you with data governance, if you have Microsoft A5 or E5 Purview Licencing is included, so is a good place to start!

Microsoft Purview: Why?

Purview provides Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for AI, allowing you to secure AI interactions across their environment.

Here’s how it works, Purview allows you to:

1. Discover and Monitor AI Usage
   • Identify which AI apps (e.g., Microsoft 365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, Azure AI Foundry) are in use.
   • Track prompts and responses for compliance and auditing.
2. Classify and Protect Sensitive Data
   • Apply sensitivity labels and data loss prevention (DLP) policies to prevent confidential data from being shared with AI tools.
   • Automate labelling for high-risk datasets.
3. Enforce AI-Specific Policies
   • Deploy one-click policies to block risky actions like pasting sensitive data into AI prompts.
   • Configure endpoint DLP for browsers to monitor third-party AI interactions.
4. Audit and Investigate
   • Use Purview Audit to capture AI interactions in a unified log.
   • Enable eDiscovery and legal hold for AI-related content.
5. Integrate with Azure AI and Custom Apps
   • Embed Purview APIs into AI applications for runtime governance.
   • Leverage native integration with Azure AI Foundry for enterprise-grade security.

Where do you start? What are the best Practices for Securing AI Data.

Steps to begin:

1. Start with Data Discovery – Identify and classify sensitive data before connecting to AI tools. This is probably the most difficult and important part of this process as not all staff will agree on this. My suggestion here, get an expert to help you with this, using their knowledge and best practise.
2. Enable DSPM for AI – Activate monitoring and compliance controls in Purview.
3. Implement DLP and Sensitivity Labels – Protect critical assets like training datasets and proprietary code.
4. Audit Regularly – Review AI interactions for compliance and anomalies.
5. Educate Users – Train employees on safe AI usage and governance policies.