Data Loss Prevention, usually shortened to DLP, helps businesses control how sensitive information is handled.
A DLP policy can look for information such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, health information, financial records, or other sensitive data. When that information is found, Microsoft 365 can warn the user, block the action, or record the event for review.
For example, an employee may try to email a spreadsheet containing customer financial information to a personal email address. A DLP policy can recognize the type of data and stop the message before it leaves the organization.
DLP is not designed to spy on employees. It is designed to reduce accidental exposure and give businesses consistent rules for protecting important information.
The best DLP programs start small. Businesses should first identify the data that matters most, decide where it is allowed to go, and then build policies around those rules. Starting with alerts and user education can help reduce disruption before stronger blocking actions are enabled.