Block Outgoing Emails with Credit Card Numbers Using DLP Policy Tip
A company must ensure that all outgoing emails containing credit card numbers are blocked from being sent to external recipients. When a user attempts to send such an email, it should be blocked immediately, and the user should see a policy tip explaining the rule. Which Microsoft Purview solution should the administrator configure?
Quick Answer
The answer is a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy in Microsoft Purview. This is correct because DLP policies are purpose-built to detect sensitive data like credit card numbers in transit and enforce real-time actions, such as blocking outgoing emails and displaying a policy tip to the user, all without requiring manual labeling. On the MS-102 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to configure Exchange Online mail flow rules within a DLP policy using built-in sensitive info types, with a common trap being confusion with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 or retention policies, which do not offer the same blocking and policy tip functionality. Remember the key distinction: DLP policies are the only solution that can both block the message and show a policy tip immediately upon detection. A useful memory tip is "DLP: Detect, Lock, Prompt" — it detects sensitive data, locks the message from being sent, and prompts the user with a policy tip.
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse sensitivity labels with DLP because both involve 'protection,' but sensitivity labels require manual or automatic classification and do not perform real-time content inspection or blocking of outbound emails based on sensitive data patterns.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy
A Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to detect sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, in transit (email) and enforce real-time actions like blocking the message and displaying a policy tip to the user. DLP policies in Microsoft Purview can be configured with conditions that match credit card number patterns using built-in sensitive info types, and the action 'Block messages' with a policy tip notification is available for Exchange Online mail flow. This ensures immediate blocking and user notification without requiring any manual labeling or classification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy
Why this is correct
DLP policies can block emails containing sensitive info and display policy tips to users.
- ✗
Sensitivity labels
Why it's wrong here
Sensitivity labels classify and protect data but do not block email transmission.
- ✗
Retention labels
Why it's wrong here
Retention labels manage how long data is kept and when it is deleted, not real-time blocking.
- ✗
Communication compliance
Why it's wrong here
Communication compliance monitors communications for policy violations but does not block messages.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Microsoft 365 Tenant Setup
Key term
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview is a unified data governance and compliance service that helps organizations discover, manage, and protect their data across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
Key term
Exchange Online
Exchange Online is Microsoft's cloud-based email, calendar, and contact hosting service that is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, allowing organizations to manage corporate messaging without maintaining their own mail servers.
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Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on MS-102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your company is implementing Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to protect credit card numbers in emails. Which THREE actions can a DLP policy take when a match is found?
easy- A.Delete the email from the recipient's inbox.
- B.Encrypt the email automatically.
- ✓ C.Allow the user to override the block with a business justification.
- ✓ D.Send a notification to the user with a policy tip.
- ✓ E.Block the email from being sent.
Why C: Options C, D, and E are correct actions that a DLP policy can take when a credit card number match is found. DLP can block the email from being sent (E), send a notification with a policy tip to the user (D), and allow the user to override the block with a business justification (C). Option A is incorrect because DLP does not delete emails from recipients' inboxes; it can block or quarantine at the transport level. Option B is incorrect because while DLP can encrypt emails via rights management, it is not a standard 'action' but an additional protection; the question asks for standard actions that DLP can take directly.
Variation 2. Your company has a Microsoft 365 E5 subscription. You need to prevent users from sharing files containing credit card numbers with external users. What should you configure?
medium- A.A retention policy for SharePoint sites.
- B.An information barrier policy.
- C.A sensitivity label with encryption.
- ✓ D.A DLP policy that blocks sharing of content with sensitive info type.
Why D: Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies can detect sensitive information like credit card numbers and block sharing with external users. Option D is correct because a DLP policy can be configured to block sharing of content containing sensitive info types. Option A is wrong because retention policies manage data lifecycle, not prevent sharing. Option B is wrong because information barrier policies restrict communication between internal groups, not external sharing. Option C is wrong because sensitivity labels with encryption can protect content but do not directly block sharing based on sensitive data detection.
Variation 3. A compliance officer needs to prevent users from sharing confidential documents with external users outside the organization. The policy should block sharing via email attachments or sharing links from SharePoint Online. Which Microsoft Purview solution should be configured?
medium- A.Sensitivity labels
- ✓ B.Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- C.Retention policies
- D.Information barriers
Why B: Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Microsoft Purview is designed to identify, monitor, and automatically protect sensitive information across Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. By creating a DLP policy with a rule that blocks sharing of confidential documents via email attachments or sharing links to external users, the compliance officer can enforce the required restriction. DLP policies can inspect content for sensitive data types (e.g., credit card numbers, custom confidential labels) and apply actions such as blocking the sharing action or sending a notification.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This MS-102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the MS-102 exam.