Cloud security is a cycle

How Entra and Purview together form a modern protection architecture

Modern cloud environments are standard nowadays, but they are far from secure, as identities, applications and data must all be protected equally. While infrastructure and applications have long been flexible and scalable, key security questions often remain unanswered: Who is allowed to do what? Who protects sensitive information and how, and how does this protection remain in place when roles, processes and storage locations are constantly changing?

Many organisations rely on individual solutions or reactive measures. However, identity protection and data protection can no longer be viewed separately in modern cloud environments. What is needed is an integrated architectural approach that treats user identities and data flows as part of a common security cycle.

This is exactly where Microsoft Entra (for identity and access management) and Microsoft Purview (for data protection and compliance) come in: as an integrated duo, they enable a holistic security architecture – from authentication and data classification to controlled release.

Cloud security is often considered a purely technical issue – but in practice, it is the architecture that determines whether security concepts will work in the long term. Failure to properly control user identities opens up vulnerabilities. Failure to classify data and protect it in a context-sensitive manner risks loss of control. And treating the two separately means losing the strategic overview.

With Entra and Purview, Microsoft offers two specialised services that together can form the foundation for a modern security architecture:

• Microsoft Entra combines identity and access management, including role-based control, access controls, multi-factor authentication and conditional access.
• Microsoft Purview offers protection mechanisms for structured and unstructured data – including classification, data loss prevention (DLP), role-based policies and compliance evaluations.

When combined correctly, this results in consistent security flows: Who is allowed to access what? How is data classified? What protective measures take effect when information is shared or moved? And how can the whole process be continuously monitored and adjusted?

Why security architecture needs to be rethought today

IT security requirements have changed fundamentally in recent years. Traditional perimeter-based models, i.e. security architectures that assume that everything within the corporate network is trustworthy, no longer work in a modern, cloud-based world.

There are many reasons for this: digital transformation is forcing companies to operate faster, more flexibly and in a more networked manner. Employees work on the move, in hybrid or remote modes. Data is no longer stored centrally on the company's own servers, but distributed across SaaS applications, cloud services and collaboration platforms. At the same time, requirements are increasing due to legal provisions such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), industry-specific compliance regulations and international standards such as ISO 27001 and NIS2.

For example, in many companies, employees use Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive or similar services where identities and data are no longer managed in a traditional data centre. At the same time, new shadow IT risks are emerging: Who has access to which folders? Is sensitive information being accidentally shared externally? And how can this be controlled when permissions are assigned dynamically, for example through Teams groups, self-managed data structures or automated processes?

This development shows that organisations need a dynamic security model that adapts to real working practices and treats identities and data as equally important protection targets. Only by considering both in an integrated manner can risks be effectively minimised and compliance requirements met.

Microsoft Entra: Identity as the first line of defence

Microsoft Entra forms the foundation for secure identity and access management. With features such as single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication (MFA), conditional access and privileged identity management (PIM), risks can be mitigated at an early stage. Entra helps to clearly define who is allowed to access which resources – and under what conditions.

Microsoft Purview: Data protection and governance in the data flow

Purview complements identity protection with content protection. Sensitive information can be automatically or manually detected, classified and protected, even in emails, documents or cloud storage (including third-party providers). Data loss prevention (DLP), data classification policies and compliance reports enable end-to-end control. There are dynamic access conditions for information and data.

Security as a cycle: strategically integrating Entra and Purview

When Entra is combined with Purview, a security cycle is created. Identity determines whether and how data may be used. Purview automatically checks and protects the data. This allows data flows to be controlled without hindering work processes. Such a model is scalable, customisable and auditable, making it ideal for regulated industries.

In practice: How banks and industrial companies are implementing the concept

In regulated industries, the requirements for data protection, traceability and access control are particularly high. The benefits of strategically linking Microsoft Entra and Microsoft Purview are correspondingly great.

Example: the financial sector

Strict access rules apply in banks and insurance companies for confidential content such as annual reports, audit documents or internal planning documents. These documents often have to be processed in closed committees for weeks before they can be published. Microsoft Entra ensures that only authorised persons, such as internal auditors, executive assistants or individual managers, are granted temporary access. At the same time, Microsoft Purview automatically monitors whether this content is accidentally forwarded, copied or stored in an unauthorised manner.

A major advantage here is that access and protection measures are dynamically adjusted. If the distribution of roles changes, different permissions and DLP policies take effect immediately – without any manual readjustment. This creates a security logic that grows with the organisational processes.

Example: manufacturing industry

Companies with their own product development often need to protect confidential designs, source codes or technical documentation – especially when collaborating with partner companies or external developers. Microsoft Entra ensures a clear separation of roles here: internal teams are given full access, while external service providers can only access clearly defined areas. Microsoft Purview automatically classifies relevant content (for example, as ‘confidential’ or ‘internal’) and uses DLP policies to prevent it from accidentally leaving the company via cloud share or email.

Especially in projects with high time-to-market relevance – such as new product releases – this protection prevents information from leaking prematurely. In addition, traceability for management or the legal department is ensured, as all access paths and policy changes are documented in an audit-proof manner.

Both examples show that the combination of Entra and Purview offers much more than just security features – it builds trust in processes, reduces operational risks and facilitates the implementation of compliance requirements. Companies thus gain a security model that is not seen as a rigid straitjacket, but as a living part of digital value creation.

Best practices for your organisation

A holistic security architecture with Microsoft Entra and Purview does not happen overnight – it develops gradually. The following best practices are helpful for getting started and ensuring long-term operational robustness:

• Consider identity and data protection issues together – not in isolation: Those who focus only on identities or only on data overlook key risks. Only when both aspects are considered together can a complete picture of the security situation be obtained, for example when confidential data is only visible to clearly defined roles.
• Understand security architecture as a continuous process: Roles change, new tools are added and legal requirements evolve – your security architecture must take all of this into account. Therefore, schedule regular reviews and adapt your protective measures dynamically.
• Define governance models and protection flows early on: Establish from the outset how data is classified, who is allowed to process it and how it is to be protected. Use Microsoft Purview to convert these models into policies that can be enforced technically. Where is the data located and who uses it?
• Use automation to minimise manual sources of error: Manual authorisation management or ad hoc decisions are prone to error. Use Entra features such as dynamic groups, access permissions with expiry dates or automated workflows to reduce risks.
• Combine Entra and Purview in a targeted manner and expand step by step: Start with a defined area – such as protecting sensitive financial data or securing external project work. Then expand modularly, for example with additional DLP rules, conditional access policies or classification models.

These five principles will help you build a security architecture that not only works today, but also remains scalable, compliant and traceable tomorrow.

Conclusion

Cloud security does not end with technology; it begins with a well-thought-out understanding of architecture. As a natively integrated solution, Microsoft Entra and Microsoft Purview offer the central building blocks for this: identity protection and data protection – integrated, scalable and practical.