Introduction

Data loss prevention (DLP), information protection, and Insider Risk Management each show part of the data security picture, but none shows all of it. The view of risk shifts based on which console gets checked and which signals get correlated. Different people often reach different conclusions about where the organization is most exposed.

Microsoft Purview Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) aggregates signals from DLP, information protection, and Insider Risk Management into a single posture view. It shows what sensitive data exists, where it's stored, who can access it, and how it's protected. It also surfaces how AI tools interact with that data and where oversharing introduces risk.

Working with DSPM means separating two activities. Assessment is recognizing gaps, comparing them, and ranking them by risk. Remediation is configuring policies and controls in the source solutions DSPM aggregates from. Knowing which one you're doing prevents jumping to action before the priorities are clear.

Learning objectives

In this module, you will:

• Describe how DSPM consolidates DLP, information protection, Insider Risk Management, and Data Security Investigations into a unified posture view
• Interpret key posture metrics and trending data on the DSPM dashboard
• Evaluate data security objectives to prioritize the highest-risk gaps
• Discover AI apps and agents with sensitive interactions using AI observability
• Assess classification and labeling coverage using asset explorer
• Track posture changes over time using DSPM reports