August 13, 2023
 min read

Understanding Office 365 DLP Limitations

Understand the limitations of office 365 dlp across email, one drive and sharepoint. Learn how Strac, a modern SaaS DLP with razor focus on its low false-positive & false-negative and one of a kind User Experience solves those limitations

TL;DR:

  • Microsoft's Office 365 suite has limitations in its built-in Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities.
  • Office 365 Email DLP limitations include no email redaction, limited control, attachment scanning issues, false positives, and limited OCR capabilities.
  • OneDrive DLP limitations include no approval workflows, real-time enforcement delays, limited file type support, and collaboration hiccups.
  • SharePoint DLP limitations include complexity in large environments, versioning issues, custom content type challenges, and workflow interruptions.
  • Strac addresses these limitations by automatically detecting and redacting sensitive email content, providing instant monitoring and data categorization for OneDrive and SharePoint, offering data obfuscation tools, implementing a smart alert mechanism, and streamlining compliance with regulatory oversight.

Understanding the Office 365 DLP Limitations

Microsoft's Office 365 suite, encompassing Email, OneDrive, and SharePoint, offers built-in Data Loss Prevention (DLP) capabilities. While these features provide a foundational layer of data protection, it's essential to understand their limitations to manage and protect sensitive information effectively.

Office 365 Email DLP Limitations

  • No Email Redaction: Can't redact sensitive emails. Necessary for compliance and privacy laws.
  • Granular Control: While Office 365 offers predefined templates for DLP policies, organizations with unique or specific requirements might find it challenging to fine-tune these policies to their exact needs.
  • Attachment Scanning: DLP may not always effectively scan certain types of attachments, especially if they are zip-files.
  • False Positives: The built-in DLP can sometimes generate false positives, leading to unnecessary administrative work and potential disruptions in communication.
  • Limited OCR Capabilities: Scanning images or documents with embedded text for sensitive information is not always accurate or comprehensive.
  • Complicate to Establish DLP Policy: Because it is cumbersome to setup a solid Office 365 DLP policy, most organizations default to Block mode OR pass-through mode (with justification). Block mode has never been practical and incurs a huge productive tax on employees and IT admins.

OneDrive DLP Limitations

  • No Approval Workflows: When a sensitive file is shared, one can either block or allow the file to be shared. Blocking the file sharing causes productivity issues and employees hate it.
  • Real-time Enforcement Delays: While DLP policies can be applied to OneDrive, there might be slight delays in real-time enforcement, potentially allowing brief windows for data leakage.
  • Limited File Type Support: DLP might not support or accurately scan all file types, especially lesser-known or custom file extensions.
  • Collaboration Hiccups: In shared documents or collaborative environments, DLP restrictions might disrupt workflows or cause access issues for legitimate users.

SharePoint DLP Limitations

  • Complexity in Large Environments: Managing DLP policies can become complex and challenging for organizations with extensive SharePoint sites and subsites.
  • Versioning Issues: If sensitive data is found in a document, DLP might restrict access to the entire document, including previous versions that might not contain sensitive data.
  • Custom Content Types: DLP might not always effectively recognize or manage custom content types, which can be prevalent in SharePoint environments tailored to specific organizational needs.
  • Workflow Interruptions: DLP policies might inadvertently interfere with SharePoint workflows, especially if they involve data that's flagged by DLP rules.

How Strac Addresses Office 365 DLP Limitations?

Strac Office 365 Email DLP

Strac automatically detects and redacts sensitive email body and attachments. Strac is the only SaaS DLP on the market that replaces sensitive parts within email with a link to the vault. While the Strac Office 365 App redacts or masks sensitive email content, authorized individuals can still view these emails through the dedicated Strac UI Vault.

Organizations can also define a list of confidential data elements—ranging from Social Security Numbers and Passport details to API Keys and Credit Card information—for the app to shield. Detailed access reports, showcasing who accessed which messages, can be provided to teams overseeing Compliance, Risk, and Security.

Strac's Machine Learning model is highly trained on a variety of data inputs. It has very low false-positive and false-negative rate.

Strac One Drive and Sharepoint DLP

  1. Instant Monitoring: Keep Data Breaches at Bay on OneDrive and Sharepoint. Strac's DLP for OneDrive offers instantaneous surveillance of platform data. It vigilantly observes data access patterns, noting who interacts with the data, when, and in what manner, swiftly spotting any unauthorized or dubious actions.
  2. Streamlined Data Categorization: Enhancing OneDrive Data Handling. With its automated categorization, Strac's OneDrive DLP effortlessly sorts data based on its sensitivity and compliance prerequisites, adding tags and efficiently managing information to ensure protection.
  3. Data Obfuscation Tools: Boosting Confidentiality on OneDrive. Employing sophisticated data obfuscation methods, Strac ensures heightened data confidentiality. It facilitates masking or removing confidential details in files before sharing or downloading.
  4. Smart Alert Mechanism: Stay Ahead with OneDrive Notifications. Should there be a looming data leak or breach, Strac's OneDrive DLP quickly notify the concerned individuals. Using cutting-edge machine learning techniques, Strac minimizes false alarms, preventing alert overloads.
  5. Regulatory Oversight: Streamlining Compliance on OneDrive. Navigating regulatory waters becomes easier with Strac's OneDrive DLP. It pinpoints data falling under regulations and brings forth tools to uphold such standards. Additionally, it presents detailed audit logs and reports, aiding in compliance verification.
  6. Intuitive and Adaptable Interface: Molding Strac to Fit Your OneDrive Operations. Strac's UI Vault, while packed with features, is designed for ease of use. It offers insightful reports and analytics detailing the volume of sensitive data on OneDrive, sharing patterns, data distribution timelines, and more.

Strac: Email Auditor - Detect & remove sensitive personal data (PII/PHI) from email | Product Hunt








Founder, Strac. ex-Amazon Payments Infrastructure (Widget, API, Security) Builder for 11 years.

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