Enhancing Insider Risk Management with Microsoft Purview

Insider threats; whether malicious or accidental, pose one of the most complex security challenges for modern organisations. Employees and partners inherently require access to sensitive data, but that access can be exploited if not properly governed. Microsoft Purview’s Insider Risk Management (IRM) module has just introduced the ability to target policies by specific users, groups, and even adaptive scopes. In this deep dive, we’ll explore how to leverage these enhancements to reduce insider risk without hampering productivity.

What’s New in Purview IRM

Previously, IRM policies in Purview applied broadly across an organization or only to pre-defined sensitivity labels. The new release allows you to:

• Select Individual Users or Groups: Focus investigations on high-risk personas such as finance teams or R&D engineers.

• Define Adaptive Scopes: Dynamically include devices or locations based on real-time signals—such as sign-in from an unmanaged device or atypical geolocation.

• Combine with Sensitivity Labels: Tailor risk policies that only trigger when protected content (e.g., “Confidential”) is accessed or shared outside the corporate network.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Identify High-Risk Stakeholders

   Start by mapping roles with privileged or sensitive data access. Common examples include payroll administrators, legal counsel, and system architects. Create Azure AD groups for each stakeholder set.

2. Configure Sensitivity Labels

   Use Microsoft Purview Information Protection to define labels like “Internal Only,” “Confidential,” and “Regulated Data.” Ensure labels are enforced on document libraries, SharePoint sites, and endpoints.

3. Build Adaptive Scopes

   In the Purview portal, define conditions—such as device compliance state or country—under “Adaptive Scopes.” For example, create a scope that includes only unmanaged devices or access attempts from outside your primary region.

4. Author IRM Policies

   Under the Insider Risk Management blade, create a new policy. Choose “Custom Policy,” then specify:

   
   

   • Users/Groups: Select your high-risk groups.

   • Adaptive Scope: Attach your unmanaged-device scope.

   • Activity Triggers: Define triggers—download of large volumes of “Confidential” files, unusual print or share actions, or exfiltration via email.

   • Actions: Configure alerts to the security team, automated user coaching, or enforced access revocation for extreme cases.

   
   

5. Monitor and Refine

   Run new policies in “audit only” mode for two weeks. Review the IRM dashboar and pay attention to risk scores, file events, and user feedback. Adjust sensitivity thresholds to balance noise and coverage.

Measuring Success

Key metrics include:

• Reduction in High-Risk Events: Compare incident counts before and after policy enforcement.

• Time to Detection: Track how quickly suspicious actions are surfaced.

• User Impact: Survey affected users to ensure policies aren’t impeding legitimate work.

By harnessing user and group targeting and adaptive scopes, organizations can make Purview IRM both precise and proactive. Rather than blanket policies that drown your team in alerts, you’ll receive high-fidelity signals from the people and scenarios that matter most. This fine-grained control transforms insider risk management from reactive investigations into a strategic advantage; freeing security teams to focus on real threats and empowering your workforce to handle data confidently.