Microsoft 365 is now fully embraced by most organizations as the primary platform for collaboration and productivity. Microsoft Purview plays a critical role in securing this environment by protecting information stored in Microsoft 365 and shared from it—using classification, sensitivity labels, encryption, and data loss prevention to control access, external sharing, and usage.
For data created, stored, or shared from Microsoft 365, these controls are highly effective.
The challenge is that Microsoft 365 does not contain all enterprise content. Most organizations still have large volumes of sensitive, regulated, and business-critical information stored outside the Microsoft cloud—on file servers, network shares, legacy archives, and other repositories. This content often exists without consistent classification, retention, or protection, even though it is subject to the same security threats, privacy laws, and compliance obligations.
To truly protect information across the enterprise, organizations must secure data in Microsoft 365, shared from Microsoft 365, and stored elsewhere. That requires extending Microsoft Purview’s protection model beyond the cloud to cover the full information estate.
The Value of Microsoft Purview for Information Protection
Microsoft Purview brings together key capabilities that organizations need to protect information at scale:
1. Discover and Classify Sensitive Information
Purview automatically identifies sensitive and critical data using built-in and custom classifiers, enabling organizations to understand:
- Where sensitive data exists
- How it is being shared
- Which content is over-exposed or unprotected
This visibility is essential for reducing oversharing, supporting compliance, and preparing for AI usage.
2. Apply Consistent Protection and Controls
With sensitivity labels, data loss prevention (DLP), and encryption, Purview enables organizations to:
- Protect information based on content, not location
- Enforce consistent handling rules
- Reduce accidental or malicious data leakage
These controls are especially important in a Copilot and AI-enabled environment, where access equals exposure.
3. Support Compliance, Audits, and Investigations
Purview helps organizations meet regulatory requirements such as GDPR, ISO 27001, and industry-specific mandates by:
- Enforcing data minimization and protection
- Supporting retention and deletion policies
- Providing audit and investigation capabilities
Inside Microsoft 365, Purview is a strong and mature platform.
The Reality: Information Protection Doesn’t Stop at Microsoft 365
Despite major cloud adoption, most organizations still have:
- File servers with decades of unstructured data
- Network shares with unknown ownership
- Legacy archives and departmental repositories
- Hybrid and multi-cloud data sources
This data often contains:
- Personal data and sensitive business information
- Records with retention obligations
- Large volumes of ROT (redundant, obsolete, and trivial data)
Purview controls do not automatically extend to these environments.
The result?
- Blind spots in data protection
- Inconsistent classification and retention
- Higher breach, compliance, and AI-related risk
Why Extending Purview Is Critical for AI and Risk Reduction
AI tools like Copilot do not distinguish between “good” and “bad” data—they operate on what they can access.
If sensitive or unnecessary data remains:
- Unclassified
- Over-retained
- Accessible in unmanaged repositories
…then AI will amplify existing risks instead of delivering safe business value.
True AI readiness requires enterprise-wide information governance and protection, not just cloud-native controls.
1. Discover and Classify Data Outside Microsoft 365
Infotechtion-ARM scans file servers and external repositories to:
- Identify sensitive, regulated, and record information
- Detect ROT data at scale
- Apply the same classification logic used in Purview
This creates a single, consistent view of information risk across the enterprise.
2. Enforce Retention and Deletion Beyond the Cloud
With Infotechtion-ARM, organizations can:
- Apply retention and deletion rules to file shares
- Defensibly delete ROT data
- Reduce storage cost and attack surface
This directly supports GDPR data minimization and storage limitation principles.
3. Align Protection Across Hybrid Environments
Infotechtion-ARM ensures that information protection is:
- Consistent across Microsoft 365 and file servers
- Aligned with Purview labels and policies
- Governed through a single operating model
Instead of siloed projects, organizations establish a scalable, repeatable governance approach.
Purview + Infotechtion-ARM: From Cloud Controls to Enterprise Protection
Microsoft Purview is the right foundation for information protection. Infotechtion-ARM completes the picture by extending those controls across the entire information estate.
Together, they enable organizations to:
- Reduce compliance and security risk
- Prepare safely for AI and Copilot
- Eliminate data hoarding and ROT
- Lower storage and operational costs
- Move from reactive clean-ups to proactive governance
Final Thought
Information protection is no longer just about securing Microsoft 365—it’s about governing information everywhere it exists.
Organizations that combine Microsoft Purview with Infotechtion-ARM move from partial visibility to true enterprise-wide information protection, unlocking the full value of AI while staying compliant and secure.
Have questions or need guidance? Infotechtion-ARM makes it easier for users to manage and govern information by using the full power of Microsoft Purview. Our experts are here to help. Reach out to us at contact@infotechtion.com. We’re excited to show you how our Infotechion-ARM solutions can benefit your needs and drive value for your business.
