What Microsoft Purview Is and Why It Matters

As regulatory expectations expand across industries, managing data compliance is one of the biggest challenges for Massachusetts businesses. Whether you’re  managing financial records, patient information, or client data, you must know where that information lives, who can access it, and how it’s being used.

That’s where Microsoft Purview comes in.

Microsoft Purview is a unified data-governance and compliance ecosystem, consolidating previously separate solutions such as Azure Purview, the Microsoft Compliance Center, and Information Protection into one connected platform. Each component works together to help organizations discover, classify, govern, protect, retain, and monitor data across Microsoft 365, Azure, and on-premises environments.

From SOC 2, HIPAA, and NIST to ISO 27001 and Massachusetts 201 CMR 17.00, Purview helps make compliance frameworks auditable and consistent across every system your business relies on, without disrupting daily operations.

   
Key Purview Features That Support Compliance Readiness

For organizations preparing for audits or managing sensitive data, Microsoft Purview delivers tools that simplify visibility, governance, and enforcement.

Data Discovery and Classification

Purview automatically scans and identifies sensitive data, financial records, personally identifiable information (PII), medical information, credentials, and intellectual property, using Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) label sets and built-in classifiers. This helps organizations locate and label high-risk data across Microsoft 365, Azure, and connected third-party services.

Data Governance and Lineage

Beyond compliance, Purview’s Data Map and Data Catalog provide enterprise-grade governance. These tools automatically catalog structured and unstructured data sources, visualize data lineage, and allow IT and compliance teams to understand how information flows across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, crucial for financial, biotech, and research organizations managing complex datasets.

Information Protection and Governance

Through sensitivity labels and data loss prevention (DLP) policies, Purview safeguards data, even when shared externally or across departments. These protections integrate with Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and endpoints to maintain consistent protection wherever data travels.

Insider Risk Management

Purview’s Insider Risk Management solution, available with Microsoft 365 E5 or E5 Compliance licensing, uses machine learning to detect unusual data movement or access patterns, enabling IT teams to respond before issues escalate. Adaptive policies automatically adjust protection based on user behavior and risk context.

Audit and Compliance Manager

Purview’s Compliance Manager provides compliance scoring, improvement recommendations, and dashboards that help organizations measure and enhance readiness for frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001, and 201 CMR 17.00. For a deeper look, visit Microsoft Purview Compliance Manager. 

Records Management and Retention

Purview’s Records Management capabilities automate retention policies, apply data-lifecycle controls, and enforce deletion schedules. This ensures records are preserved, and disposed of, according to industry-specific regulatory timelines, such as FINRA or HIPAA record-keeping requirements.

eDiscovery (Premium)

For legal, finance, and public-sector clients, Purview’s eDiscovery (Premium) enables targeted searches, case management, and legal holds across massive data volumes. It supports investigations and litigation response without exporting data outside Microsoft’s secure cloud, an essential capability for Massachusetts law firms and financial institutions.

Licensing and Transparency

Microsoft Purview’s features vary by license. Core capabilities are included in Microsoft 365 E3, but advanced features, Insider Risk Management, eDiscovery (Premium), Advanced DLP, Auto-Labeling, and Records Management, require Microsoft 365 E5 or E5 Compliance add-on licensing (or equivalent Purview Suite).
RutterNet guides each client through licensing options to balance functionality with budget and compliance needs.

How RutterNet Deploys Purview to Protect Your Data

Implementing Purview successfully requires more than turning on features; it demands alignment between governance strategy, licensing, and infrastructure.

RutterNet helps Boston and New England businesses deploy Purview efficiently and securely by:

• Assessing your current data ecosystem to identify compliance gaps.
  
  
• Configuring Purview policies for classification, labeling, retention, and records management.
  
  
• Automating retention schedules and defining data-lifecycle rules to support consistent audit readiness.
  
  
• Integrating Purview with Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory, and Defender for Cloud Apps for unified identity and security control.
  
  
• Implementing eDiscovery workflows for faster investigations and secure legal holds.
  
  
• Developing Written Information Security Programs (WISP) aligned with Massachusetts 201 CMR 17.00, ensuring clients meet the state’s specific data-protection mandate.
  
  
• Training users and administrators to maintain compliance continuously.
  
  

With over 25 years serving Massachusetts businesses, RutterNet ensures every Purview deployment aligns with your operational goals and regulatory obligations.

Why Purview is a Smart Move for Massachusetts Organizations

Boston-area enterprises face an expanding web of compliance mandates, from SOC 2 readiness and HIPAA to FERPA, ISO 27001, and the state’s 201 CMR 17.00 data-security regulations. Microsoft Purview unifies these requirements under one intelligent framework, giving IT leaders confidence in data oversight and auditors the transparency they expect.

RutterNet helps clients across healthcare, finance, education, biotech, and professional services use Purview to:

• Gain data-residency visibility and enforce U.S.-specific compliance controls.
  
  
• Connect Purview with Azure Information Protection and Defender for Cloud Apps for extended governance.
  
  
• Leverage AI-driven adaptive protection and Security Copilot-assisted compliance management to automate remediation and reduce risk.
  
  

By combining Microsoft’s advanced capabilities with local expertise, RutterNet helps Massachusetts organizations maintain continuous compliance and data security without compromising productivity.

Ready to Strengthen Compliance and Data Security?

If your organization is ready to unify governance and security under one platform, Microsoft Purview is the right place to start.

RutterNet’s compliance and IT experts can help you deploy, configure, and manage Purview effectively to your organization meets both technical and regulatory requirements.

Reach out to an expert, or request a free consultation.