Using Microsoft Purview DLP to Automatically Detect and Block Sensitive Data in Emails and Teams
A company uses Microsoft 365 and wants to automatically detect when employees attempt to share credit card numbers in emails or Microsoft Teams messages. The company also wants to block the message if it contains such sensitive data, and notify the sender with a policy tip. Which Microsoft Purview solution should the administrator configure?
Quick Answer
DLP is the answer here because it's the one Purview solution that spans both surfaces named in the scenario — email and Microsoft Teams messages — under a single policy, detecting sensitive content wherever it's shared rather than requiring a separate tool per app. Credit card numbers are matched using a built-in sensitive information type, which combines a pattern match with corroborating evidence nearby to reduce false positives, and once a match is confirmed the policy can both block the message from being sent and surface a policy tip directly to the sender explaining why. That policy tip is worth remembering by name: it's the specific DLP mechanism that turns a silent block into a teachable moment, showing the user in real time which policy they tripped rather than leaving them to guess why their message didn't go through. The pattern across these DLP scenarios is consistent — detect a defined sensitive information type, take an enforcement action like blocking, and notify the user with a policy tip — and it's the combination of detection plus in-the-moment user notification that distinguishes DLP from a silent backend monitoring tool.
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse Information Protection (sensitivity labels) with DLP, not realizing that sensitivity labels classify and protect data at rest, while DLP actively monitors and controls data in motion (email and chat).
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)
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to detect, block, and notify users when sensitive data—such as credit card numbers—is shared in emails or Teams messages. DLP policies can be configured with built-in sensitive information types (e.g., credit card number) and actions like blocking the message and sending a policy tip to the sender.
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 Lifecycle Management
Why it's wrong here
Data Lifecycle Management manages retention and deletion of data based on policies. It does not detect or block sharing of sensitive data in real time.
- ✓
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why this is correct
DLP policies detect sensitive information (e.g., credit card numbers) and enforce actions such as blocking, encrypting, or notifying users. This matches the scenario requirements.
- ✗
Information Protection (Sensitivity labels)
Why it's wrong here
Sensitivity labels classify and protect documents and emails, but they do not automatically detect and block sharing of credit card numbers unless combined with auto-labeling or DLP.
- ✗
Insider Risk Management
Why it's wrong here
Insider Risk Management identifies risky user activities (e.g., data exfiltration) but is not designed for real-time blocking of messages containing specific sensitive data types.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Microsoft Entra ID
Key term
Data Loss Prevention
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is a set of tools and processes that help organizations stop sensitive information from being shared, leaked, or stolen, whether accidentally or on purpose.
Key term
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform that integrates chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration into a single workspace, primarily used within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
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Same concept, more angles
4 more ways this is tested on SC-900
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. A compliance officer wants to automatically classify emails containing credit card numbers as 'Highly Confidential' and apply encryption. Which Microsoft Purview feature should be used?
easy- A.Microsoft Purview Sensitivity Labels
- B.Microsoft Purview Retention Labels
- C.Microsoft Purview eDiscovery
- ✓ D.Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Why D: Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies are designed to detect sensitive information such as credit card numbers and automatically apply protective actions like encryption. Option A is incorrect because sensitivity labels are classification tools that can be applied manually or automatically via DLP, but the automation of encryption based on content is a DLP capability. Option B is incorrect because retention labels are used for data retention and deletion policies, not for encryption. Option C is incorrect because eDiscovery is used for searching and exporting data for legal or investigative purposes, not for automatic classification and encryption.
Variation 2. A company wants to automatically detect and remediate compliance issues such as sharing sensitive data externally. Which Microsoft Purview solution should they use?
easy- A.Microsoft Purview Records Management
- ✓ B.Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
- C.Microsoft Purview eDiscovery
- D.Microsoft Purview Audit
Why B: Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is the correct solution because it is specifically designed to detect, alert, and automatically remediate when sensitive data (e.g., credit card numbers, personally identifiable information) is shared externally via email, Teams, or cloud apps. DLP policies can enforce actions like blocking the transmission or applying encryption, directly addressing the requirement to prevent unauthorized external sharing of sensitive data.
Variation 3. A company uses Microsoft 365 and needs to automatically detect documents in SharePoint Online that contain personally identifiable information (PII) such as social security numbers. When such documents are detected, they want to apply a sensitivity label that encrypts the document and restricts access to only the compliance team. Which Microsoft Purview solution should they use?
medium- A.Data Lifecycle Management
- B.Records Management
- ✓ C.Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- D.Communication Compliance
Why C: Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is the correct solution because it can automatically scan documents in SharePoint Online for sensitive information types (e.g., social security numbers) using built-in or custom sensitive info types. When a match is found, DLP policies can trigger an action to apply a sensitivity label that encrypts the document and restricts access, such as limiting it to the compliance team. This combines content detection with automated protection, which is exactly the scenario described.
Variation 4. A company wants to automatically detect emails in Exchange Online that contain credit card numbers and apply encryption to those emails before they are sent. Which Microsoft Purview solution should the administrator configure?
medium- A.Information Protection (sensitivity labels)
- ✓ B.Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- C.Data Lifecycle Management
- D.eDiscovery
Why B: Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in Microsoft Purview is specifically designed to detect sensitive information such as credit card numbers in emails and automatically apply protective actions like encryption. DLP policies can scan Exchange Online messages in transit and enforce rules to encrypt the email before it is sent, which directly meets the requirement.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-900 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 SC-900 exam.