There is a lot of noise around GDPR. Every vendor has a product or a suite of products aimed at helping with compliance. There is no silver bullet. Indeed, much of GDPR isn’t a technology based problem.
We know that many organisations already have an investment in Office 365 and aren’t aware that it has many features that can assist with important aspects of GDPR such being able do identify and secure personal data.
eDiscovery and Data Classification are key parts of GDPR. Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery includes machine learning combined with analytics which allows the sorting of large quantities of data for eDiscovery purposes.
It can eliminate duplicate files, and reconstruct email threads allowing users to to explore and discover large, unstructured data sets and quickly zero in on what is likely to be relevant.
Another important GDPR requirement is Data Loss Prevention (DLP). Office 365 can help identify sensitive information across many locations, such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business.
Once it finds that information it can help with both classification and in preventing the accidental sharing of sensitive data whether that be cloud based on via desktop versions of Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
A third key GDPR areas is security. Office 365 has several features and modules to assist in that regard including Advanced Threat Protection and Threat intelligence which can provide protection from active threats such as viruses and malware whilst also evaluating emerging threats before they might impact your business.
Moroever, Office 365 offers full audit logs showing what your users are doing, facilitating any requirement to investigate security of compliance.
Consilium are actively working with organisations around the upcoming GDPR and Cyber Essentials deadlines. Please get in touch if you want to discuss how we can help you move forward with these objectives.
In addition to Microsoft based solutions we work with key partners including Veritas, Palo Alto Networks and Veeam to provide solutions to the many challenges facing organisations around GDPR and security.
