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Microsoft Purview Complete Course: Data Security, Governance, Compliance, and AI

Learn Microsoft Purview through 22 free lessons covering governance, sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, investigations and AI controls.

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Experience level
All levels
Curriculum
10 modules · 22 lessons
Estimated reading
1 hr 7 min
Language
English

Reading estimates use lesson text and an allowance for diagrams. Reflection, exercises and optional linked resources take additional time. These are estimates, not measured completion times.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE WORKING TOWARD

What you’ll learn

  • Explain how Purview data governance, data security, compliance, Microsoft 365, identity, permissions, endpoints, and AI controls form one bounded architecture.
  • Design classification, labeling, DLP, retention, investigation, catalog, and AI controls from explicit business risks and governance requirements.
  • Deploy, test, monitor, troubleshoot, investigate, and improve Purview capabilities as production services.
  • Produce a traceable control package that connects policy intent, licensing, configuration, evidence, residual risk, and accountable review.

Is this the right course for you?

Who it’s for

Microsoft 365 administrators, security and compliance practitioners, data stewards and technical leaders.

Scope and boundaries

A broad Purview learning path spanning governance and data security. Live administration requires suitable permissions, licensing and a separately governed environment.

How you’ll learn

Self-paced reading with explanatory diagrams and linked resources. Reflection and optional resource study take additional time.

Before you begin

  • Basic Microsoft 365 and security knowledge — Learners should understand users, groups, permissions, files, email, collaboration services, cloud administration, and the purpose of security and compliance controls.

About this course

This complete, practical course teaches how Microsoft Purview becomes a governed security, compliance, and data-management layer across Microsoft 365 and the wider data estate. It joins the two disciplines that organizations often separate: data governance through Data Map and Unified Catalog, and data security and compliance through Information Protection, DLP, lifecycle management, Audit, eDiscovery, human-risk workflows, Compliance Manager, and AI controls.

The course is designed for administrators, security and compliance professionals, data stewards, records managers, privacy teams, architects, auditors, and technical leaders. Each lesson explains the purpose behind the capability, shows how it fits with neighboring controls, guides the learner through decisions and failure conditions, and ends with an operational method that can be used in a real program. The final capstone produces an end-to-end, license-aware Purview control package with test evidence and clearly stated coverage boundaries.

FOLLOW THE LEARNING PATH

Course curriculum

MODULE 1

1. Understand the Purview Security and Governance System

Build the mental model, licensing map, roles, and governance structure needed before configuring controls.

  1. Map the Purview Landscape and Its Security BoundariesSeparate data governance, data security, compliance, identity, access, and workload responsibilities so every control has a clear purpose.4 min reading
  2. Translate Licensing, Roles, and Governance into an Operating ModelTurn feature entitlements and administrative roles into accountable, least-privilege operations.3 min reading

MODULE 2

2. Discover, Map, and Curate the Data Estate

Use Data Map and Unified Catalog to build trusted metadata, ownership, lineage, and data products.

  1. Design Data Map Scanning and Metadata CollectionPlan collections, source registration, credentials, scans, classification, and monitoring without confusing metadata discovery with data access.3 min reading
  2. Build Unified Catalog, Lineage, Quality, and Data ProductsConvert scanned metadata into business domains, trusted products, lineage, access workflows, and measurable data health.3 min reading

MODULE 3

3. Classify and Protect Information

Design detection logic, sensitivity labels, publishing policies, encryption, and automation that users can operate.

  1. Engineer Sensitive Information Types and ClassifiersChoose built-in SITs, regex, keyword evidence, EDM, document fingerprinting, and trainable classifiers according to the data and decision.3 min reading
  2. Design Sensitivity Labels, Publishing, and Auto-LabelingCreate a small handling taxonomy, publish it deliberately, validate encryption, and automate only high-confidence decisions.3 min reading

MODULE 4

4. Prevent Unsafe Data Movement

Build proportionate DLP controls across Microsoft 365 services, endpoints, browsers, devices, and AI routes.

  1. Design DLP Policies from Business ScenariosTranslate a data-loss scenario into locations, evidence, conditions, exceptions, actions, alerts, and measurable outcomes.3 min reading
  2. Extend DLP to Endpoints, Browsers, Teams, and AIProtect data after it leaves a repository by validating device onboarding, application support, destination controls, and user experience.3 min reading

MODULE 6

6. Investigate and Preserve Evidence

Use Audit and eDiscovery to reconstruct activity, preserve content, collect proportionately, and maintain case integrity.

  1. Use Purview Audit as EvidenceConstruct reliable audit searches, preserve context, understand licensing and retention, and avoid overclaiming from missing events.3 min reading
  2. Run eDiscovery Cases, Holds, Searches, and ReviewsMove from legal purpose to custodians, holds, collections, review sets, exports, and defensible case closure.3 min reading

MODULE 7

7. Manage Human, Communication, and Compliance Risk

Apply privacy-aware risk workflows, ethical review, information barriers, and evidence-backed compliance improvement.

  1. Operate Insider Risk and Communication Compliance ResponsiblyUse indicators and communication policies with proportionality, privacy, separation of duties, and human review.3 min reading
  2. Use Information Barriers and Compliance Manager as Governed ControlsTranslate separation requirements and regulatory obligations into scoped controls, tests, evidence, and improvement work.3 min reading

MODULE 8

8. Protect Privacy, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and AI

Apply Purview controls across collaboration services and generative AI while respecting permissions, privacy, and governance.

  1. Secure SharePoint and Microsoft 365 Collaboration PathsConnect site governance, file labels, permissions, sharing, DLP, retention, Office clients, and investigation evidence.3 min reading
  2. Govern Microsoft 365 Copilot and Other Generative AIBuild a governed data foundation, protect AI interactions, control third-party routes, and establish AI GRC.3 min reading
  3. Protect Privacy and Support Data-Subject WorkflowsGovern the personal information processed by Purview itself and build authorized, traceable workflows for locating and acting on data-subject information.3 min reading

MODULE 9

9. Integrate, Report, and Operate Purview

Connect scanners, APIs, reports, health monitoring, support, change management, and incident workflows.

  1. Integrate Scanners, APIs, Reporting, and Multi-Cloud SourcesDesign reliable integrations with clear capability boundaries, pagination, identity, reconciliation, and ownership.3 min reading
  2. Run Purview as a Production Security ServiceEstablish health checks, change control, incident response, support, release gates, and service-level metrics.3 min reading
  3. Turn DSPM Findings into Data Security InvestigationsConnect posture discovery, risk context, investigations, remediation, and outcome measurement without treating a recommendation as a conclusion.3 min reading

MODULE 10

10. Design and Prove a Complete Purview Program

Synthesize governance, architecture, controls, rollout, evidence, and improvement in a practical capstone.

  1. Build the Purview Target Architecture and RoadmapCreate a risk-led target state that connects data domains, Microsoft 365 workloads, controls, licenses, owners, and phased delivery.3 min reading
  2. Capstone: Prove the Security Layer End to EndProduce and test a complete Purview control package for a realistic company scenario.3 min reading

BUILD ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION

These courses address different scopes. Choose the foundation or follow-on that fits your next question.

Advanced

Microsoft Purview Professional Exam Preparation

Preparation for the platform's Purview assessment. This is independent training, not an official Microsoft certification or an exam-pass guarantee.

12 lessons · 35 min estimated reading

Sources and editorial review

Reviewed by Threat Intelligence Lab

Sources linked in the lessons provide context and further reading. Check the original documentation for current platform behavior and requirements.

Selected references are shown here; the lessons contain the full reading lists.

About this learning content: Courses, lessons, assessments, explanations and illustrations may be created with the help of artificial intelligence. We review and check the material and do our best to avoid incorrect or outdated information, but mistakes, omissions or ambiguous questions may remain. Please verify information before relying on it for professional, security, legal or operational decisions. Read the full notice or report an issue.