Last updated by Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
Who are strong implementation partners for Microsoft Purview?
EPC Group designs data governance strategies around Microsoft technologies — Purview, Power BI, Fabric, and Microsoft 365 — for regulated enterprises. Classification, lineage, DLP, and compliance frameworks mapped to HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, FINRA, CMMC, and GxP — and aligned to NIST AI RMF, COBIT, ITIL, and DAMA-DMBOK on the Standards Alignment page.
Designing a Data Governance Strategy Around Microsoft Technologies
Best for
- Regulated mid-market to Fortune 100 estates implementing Microsoft Purview at enterprise scale
- Organizations preparing for HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, FINRA, CMMC, or GxP audits
- AI governance programs needing Purview classification + Entra non-human identity governance
- M&A consolidations needing one governance plane across multiple inherited tenants
Not the right fit for
- Non-Microsoft data estates
- Tool-agnostic data catalog selection
- Single-system data quality work without a governance posture
Governance Services
Data Classification
Automated data discovery, classification, and labeling across Microsoft 365 and Azure.
- • Sensitivity labels
- • Auto-classification rules
- • Trainable classifiers
- • Purview integration
DLP Policies
Data Loss Prevention policies to prevent unauthorized sharing of sensitive information.
- • Microsoft Purview DLP
- • Email DLP rules
- • Endpoint DLP
- • Policy testing & alerts
Retention Policies
Automated retention and deletion schedules for regulatory compliance and records management.
- • Retention labels
- • Disposition reviews
- • Legal holds
- • eDiscovery support
Compliance Audits
Security assessments, vulnerability scans, and compliance reporting for certifications.
- • Compliance Manager
- • Security audits
- • Risk assessments
- • Remediation plans
Access Controls
Identity governance, privileged access management, and least-privilege enforcement.
- • Azure AD PIM
- • Conditional Access
- • MFA enforcement
- • Access reviews
Data Loss Prevention
Prevent sensitive data exfiltration across email, cloud apps, and endpoints.
- • Endpoint protection
- • Cloud app security
- • Email encryption
- • USB blocking
Compliance Framework Expertise
HIPAA (Healthcare)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance for protected health information (PHI).
- • PHI encryption at rest & transit
- • Access logs & audit trails
- • Business Associate Agreements
- • Security Risk Assessments
GDPR (European Privacy)
General Data Protection Regulation for EU data subjects' privacy rights and data sovereignty.
- • Data subject rights (DSR)
- • Data residency controls
- • Consent management
- • Breach notification
SOC 2 (Finance/SaaS)
Service Organization Control 2 for security, availability, confidentiality, and privacy.
- • Control implementation
- • Evidence collection
- • Audit readiness
- • Type II attestation
FedRAMP (Government)
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program for government cloud services.
- • NIST 800-53 controls
- • IL4/IL5 authorization
- • Azure Government
- • Continuous monitoring
Microsoft Purview Platform
Data Map
Automated discovery and classification of data across Microsoft 365, Azure, and on-premises.
Data Catalog
Centralized data dictionary with business glossary and lineage tracking.
Data Estate Insights
Executive dashboards showing data classification, DLP incidents, and compliance posture.
Why EPC Group for Data Governance?
Compliance Expertise: Implementing HIPAA Since 1997, GDPR, SOC 2, and FedRAMP frameworks.
Industry Specialization: Deep experience in healthcare, finance, and government sectors.
Microsoft Purview Mastery: End-to-end data governance across Microsoft 365, Azure, and multi-cloud.
Audit-Ready: Proven methodologies to pass SOC 2, HITRUST, and government audits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about our data governance consulting services
What data governance services does EPC Group provide?
EPC Group provides comprehensive data governance consulting including data classification and sensitivity labeling, data loss prevention (DLP) policy configuration, Microsoft Purview implementation (data catalog, lineage tracking, risk management), Azure AD entitlements management, retention and deletion policies, data sovereignty and residency controls, and GDPR/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance frameworks. We specialize in governance for Microsoft 365, Azure, Power BI, and Microsoft Fabric.
Why is data governance important for Microsoft 365 and Azure?
Data governance prevents data breaches, ensures regulatory compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, FINRA), reduces legal liability, enables secure AI deployments (Microsoft Copilot requires governance), and protects intellectual property. Without governance, organizations experience oversharing (70% of organizations have 1,000+ files accessible to all employees), compliance violations, and inability to respond to data subject requests. EPC Group implements governance frameworks reducing risk exposure by 80%.
How long does a data governance implementation take?
Data governance implementations vary by maturity: basic governance (sensitivity labels, DLP policies) takes 4-6 weeks, mid-level governance (Microsoft Purview, retention policies, access reviews) takes 8-12 weeks, and enterprise governance with data catalog, lineage tracking, and AI governance takes 4-6 months. EPC Group conducts data maturity assessments to identify gaps and prioritize high-risk areas first.
What is Microsoft Purview and how does it help with governance?
Microsoft Purview is Microsoft's unified data governance platform providing: data catalog for discovery across Microsoft 365, Azure, and on-premises sources; data lineage tracking showing data flow from source to consumption; data classification with machine learning-powered sensitive data discovery; risk and compliance dashboards for regulatory reporting; and data loss prevention (DLP) integration. EPC Group implements Purview for Fortune 500 clients achieving 90%+ data classification coverage within 3 months.
How do you implement data classification and sensitivity labels?
EPC Group implements data classification using Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) sensitivity labels: Confidential (PHI, PII, financial data), Internal (employee-only data), and Public (marketing content). We configure automatic labeling using trainable classifiers, manual labeling for document authors, and policy enforcement (encryption, access restrictions, watermarks). For HIPAA, we map PHI to Confidential labels. For GDPR, we identify personal data with data subject request workflows.
How much does data governance consulting cost?
Data governance consulting costs vary by scope: data maturity assessments, basic governance implementation (sensitivity labels, DLP), mid-level governance (Purview, retention policies), and enterprise governance with AI governance and continuous monitoring are each scoped separately. EPC Group provides transparent fixed-price quotes after assessment. Managed governance services are available on a monthly retainer for ongoing monitoring and policy enforcement, priced after a scoping call.
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Related Resources
Microsoft Purview Data Governance Guide
Enterprise data governance with Microsoft Purview: data catalog, lineage, classification, and compliance for regulated industries.
Microsoft 365 Compliance Guide
HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, and FedRAMP compliance frameworks for Microsoft 365 enterprise environments.
Shadow AI Governance: The Identity Blind Spot
Non-human identities now outnumber humans by an order of magnitude — the Purview DLP and Entra non-human identity playbook that closes the AI-era blind spot.
AI Identity Security Practice
Fixed-fee discovery, classification, and lifecycle governance for service principals, OAuth grants, API keys, and AI agent identities across the Microsoft tenant.
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Data Governance Services
EPC Group offers data governance consulting for enterprises. We utilize Microsoft Purview, sensitivity labels, DLP policies, and compliance frameworks.
Our clients include:
- Healthcare (HIPAA)
- Financial services (SOC 2)
- Government (FedRAMP)
Data governance implementations range from maturity assessments to enterprise solutions with AI governance, each fixed-price after assessment.
Key facts
- Microsoft Purview is Microsoft's unified data governance platform — covering data catalog, lineage, classification, and DLP.
- Sensitivity labels configured in Microsoft Purview persist when data moves to Excel, Teams, or Power BI.
- Data governance engagements: maturity assessment; basic implementation (4–6 weeks); enterprise with AI governance (4–6 months) — each fixed-price after assessment.
- Basic governance implementation (sensitivity labels, DLP) takes 4–6 weeks.
- Enterprise governance with data catalog, lineage, and AI governance takes 4–6 months.
- EPC Group has Microsoft consulting experience since 1997 and core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.
Data governance services
- Data classification and sensitivity labeling — configure and deploy Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels across M365, SharePoint, Teams, Power BI, and Azure.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies — rules that detect and block sharing of sensitive data (PHI, PCI, PII) to unapproved channels.
- Microsoft Purview implementation — data catalog, lineage tracking, and risk management dashboard deployment.
- Azure AD entitlements management — access packages, access reviews, and lifecycle workflows for data access.
- Retention and deletion policies — configure retention schedules and deletion triggers for HIPAA, FINRA, and GDPR compliance.
- Data sovereignty and residency controls — configure Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo and Azure regions to meet data residency requirements.
- GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2 compliance frameworks — end-to-end implementation of compliance controls on Microsoft platforms.
What is Microsoft Purview?
Microsoft Purview is Microsoft's unified data governance platform. It covers five capability areas:
- Data catalog — discover data assets across Microsoft 365, Azure, and on-premises sources.
- Data lineage tracking — see how data flows from source to consumption, end to end.
- Data classification — machine learning-powered sensitive data discovery (PHI, PII, PCI patterns).
- Risk and compliance dashboards — track compliance posture across HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, and FedRAMP in one place.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) — policies that detect and block sharing of sensitive data.
Sensitivity labels: what they are and why they matter
Sensitivity labels are persistent metadata tags applied to documents, emails, and data assets. They survive export to Excel, PDF, or Teams. They drive DLP policies, encryption, and access controls.
EPC Group deploys sensitivity labels in a four-tier taxonomy used by Fortune 500 enterprises:
- Public — approved for external sharing.
- Internal — for employees only.
- Confidential — restricted access, no external sharing.
- Highly Confidential — encryption required. Access logged for audit.
DLP policy design
Data Loss Prevention policies detect and block sharing of sensitive data to unapproved channels. A well-designed DLP policy covers three scenarios:
- Email DLP — block sending PHI, SSNs, or credit card numbers outside the organization.
- SharePoint / OneDrive DLP — alert when files with sensitive data are shared externally.
- Teams DLP — detect sensitive data shared in Teams messages or chats.
EPC Group configures DLP policies with simulation mode first — identifying false positives before enforcement begins. This avoids business disruption on go-live day.
Data governance by maturity level
Basic governance (4–6 weeks)
- Sensitivity labels deployed across M365.
- DLP policies active for email, SharePoint, and Teams.
- Audit logging configured for key data actions.
Mid-level governance (8–12 weeks)
- Microsoft Purview data catalog deployed.
- Retention and deletion policies configured per regulation.
- Access reviews and entitlements management implemented.
Enterprise governance with AI governance (4–6 months)
- Full Purview deployment — catalog, lineage, classification, and risk dashboard.
- AI governance layer — sensitivity labels for AI grounding data, DLP for AI outputs.
- EU AI Act or NIST AI RMF documentation for AI systems using governed data.
- Continuous monitoring with anomaly alerts and quarterly compliance reviews.
Frequently asked questions
What is data governance?
Data governance includes policies, processes, and technical controls. These elements manage how data is classified, accessed, shared, retained, and deleted.
In the Microsoft ecosystem, data governance focuses on:
- Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels
- DLP policies
- Retention policies
- Purview data catalog
What is Microsoft Purview?
Microsoft Purview is Microsoft's unified platform for data governance and compliance. It offers several key features:
- A data catalog
- Lineage tracking
- Machine learning-powered data classification
- Risk dashboards
- DLP policy management
All these features are available in one portal. Microsoft Purview replaces the previous Azure Purview and Microsoft 365 Compliance Center.
What is a sensitivity label?
A sensitivity label is a permanent metadata tag for documents, emails, or sites. It remains with the data, even when exported to Excel or sent via email.
This label automatically manages:
- DLP policies
- Encryption
- Watermarking
Labels are set up in Microsoft Purview and are used in Microsoft 365 apps.
How long does data governance implementation take?
Basic governance includes labels and DLP. This process takes about 4–6 weeks.
Mid-level governance features the Purview catalog and retention policies. It requires 8–12 weeks.
Enterprise governance involves AI governance and continuous monitoring. This typically takes 4–6 months.
How much does data governance consulting cost?
Data maturity assessments and basic governance implementations are each fixed-price, quoted after assessment.
Mid-level governance and enterprise governance, which includes AI governance and monitoring, are each scoped after assessment.
We also offer ongoing managed services for continuous compliance monitoring.
Schedule a consultation
EPC Group implements Microsoft Purview data governance for Fortune 500 and regulated-industry clients. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a discovery call to discuss your data governance requirements.
Related reading
- Big Data Modeling for Better Business Intelligence Insights
- Data Governance Best Practices: Enterprise Framework for Microsoft 365
- Data Governance for Microsoft Fabric: Starting Small and Scaling Up
- Fabric-Powered Azure Data Platforms: Synapse-to-Fabric Migration Reference for Healthcare
- How to Evaluate a Business Intelligence Consulting Partner (and What G2 Data Actually Tells You)