Amidst the shifting and evolving field of current data privacy regulation, Microsoft has launched Privacy Management for Microsoft 365 to simplify things and keep pace in a constantly changing landscape.
The newly developed Privacy Management solution aims to provide customers with the tools to protect personal data and establish an automated means of identifying privacy risks at both ends of the workplace through default data de-identification and role-based access controls.
Privacy Management can be added to a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 subscription, with the option to avail of a 90-day free trial.
According to Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Corporate Vice President Vasu Jakkal, the company has been hard at work in collaboration with consumers themselves, developing the program that they hope makes data privacy regulation a painless topic.
“The data privacy regulation landscape is more complex than ever. With new laws emerging in countries like China and India, shifts in Europe and the United Kingdom, and currently 26 different laws across the United States, staying ahead of regulations can feel impossible. But this work is critical—to safeguarding people and the tools they use to stay connected, get work done, and thrive in today’s hybrid environment,” Jakkal explained.
Doing away with antiquated, manual data inventory management, Privacy Management keeps tabs on private data location and size within consumer’s Microsoft 365 environment, giving companies an aggregated look needed in order to assess privacy risks and trends.
Privacy administrators will have access to insights determined by Privacy Management, from the Microsoft suite of solutions, that will make policy crafting a quicker, more efficient process through curated templates or the information necessary for custom policies.
Additionally, through recommended actions, training, and tips for intelligent data-handling, data owners are able to make smart data-relevant actions.
To further develop the Privacy Management platform, Microsoft has also made it a point to establish collaborations with reputable groups such as Securiti.ai, WireWheel, and OneTrust, that would provide a potent testing and feedback system for the data privacy management program.
Novartis Head of Data Privacy (Switzerland) Beni Gelzer spoke of how being part of the Privacy Management for Microsoft 365 early trial was of great benefit to the company.
“Privacy Management for Microsoft 365 will help us identify and prevent critical privacy risks that arise from transferring private data across borders and oversharing,” he said.
Meanwhile, OneTrust Product Management Vice President Adam Rykowski expressed the group’s excitement for the partnership, saying that by “automating and syncing the fulfillment of Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR) from OneTrust’s Privacy Management Solution with Privacy Management for Microsoft 365” the company would be able to empower IT manager involvement in privacy operations.
Jakkal also addressed the challenge of data privacy regulation compliance as new stipulations are penned globally, stating that Microsoft Compliance Manager has a well-stocked and updated library of assessment templates to cover any possible compliance need, with a 90-day trial to preview 25 assessments from the offering.
“We recognize that navigating the complexity of data privacy regulations is a journey, and we are excited to partner with you, our customers, and others in the ecosystem to help to ease some of the complexity, making the world a safer place for all,” Jakkal said.
