Microsoft’s September 24 update puts sensitive data rules into network enforcement for people and agents acting on their behalf, giving security teams a specific capability to evaluate.
Microsoft announced on September 24 that network data protection combining Microsoft Purview and Entra Global Secure Access is generally available. Purview provides classification and policies, while Entra applies them at the network layer. Microsoft says this covers human activity and agents acting on a user’s behalf. Microsoft’s September update.
The capability is relevant to teams managing sensitive information shared with external services, including unapproved AI tools. Microsoft describes blocking sensitive files or text from reaching risky destinations. The immediate decision for data protection teams is whether this enforcement fits their organization’s agreed sharing rules. General availability alone does not establish a particular tenant’s licensing, enabled coverage or supported traffic. Product announcement.
For an organization considering adoption, Layer8’s Cybersecurity offering could support a bounded readiness assessment and implementation pilot. The engagement would begin by agreeing which data may reach which destinations, who owns exceptions, and which users and agent activity fall within supported, licensed coverage.
A useful acceptance check would pair an approved transfer with a prohibited transfer using agreed test material. Both human and supported agent activity should produce the expected result, with the relevant alert reaching a named owner. Record uncovered cases and false blocks before deciding whether to expand.
The pilot should include rollback criteria and an owner’s acceptance decision. It could establish whether the agreed controls work in that environment; it would not guarantee that every data leak is prevented.