Microsoft 365 data security:
What is ramsac’s Data Security Framework?
Microsoft 365 holds your organisation’s most valuable information, but without good governance, it’s easy for oversharing, outdated permissions or legacy folders to create risk. Our Data Security Framework provides a simple, structured way to enhance your Microsoft 365 data security and prepare for future tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The ramsac Data Security Framework helps you understand where your Microsoft 365 data lives, who can access it, and how to reduce risk. Built around recognised standards such as ISO 27001, GDPR and the NCSC 10 Steps, it gives you a clear route to secure, compliant and well-governed data.
Our approach functions as a practical Microsoft 365 security framework, giving you a clear structure for governing data, permissions and risk across your estate.
Why data governance matters to Microsoft 365 data security
Without strong data governance, Microsoft 365’s powerful collaboration features can quickly become a liability. Oversharing, outdated permissions or messy data structures all increase the chance of accidentally exposing confidential information, putting your organisation in a vulnerable position.
This can lead to reputational damage or serious compliance breaches, including potential fines and investigations from regulators. The ramsac Data Security Framework helps you avoid these risks by keeping your data secure, structured and controlled.
What the Data Security Framework helps you achieve
We perform a thorough Microsoft 365 security assessment to help you get a complete view of your data. We’ll also put controls in place that are robust, but still user-friendly. The framework helps you:
See the full picture
Gain visibility of where your data lives, how it’s structured and who can access it.
Reduce risk
Quickly identify and fix the biggest Microsoft 365 data security gaps, including oversharing and outdated permissions.
Simplify compliance
Align easily with standards such as ISO 27001, GDPR, the NCSC 10 Steps, NHS DSP Toolkit and PCI-DSS.
Empower people
Make it easier for teams to collaborate securely with clear structures and safer defaults.
Save time
Use automation and smart policies to cut manual administration.
Build long-term resilience
Create an adaptable, future-proof data environment that evolves with your organisation and regulatory change.
A structured, five-stage approach to Microsoft 365 data security
Every journey begins with clarity. Our five interdependent stages: Assessment, Essentials, Technical Controls, Automation & Enforcement, and Ongoing Maintenance, are underpinned by written policies and continuous assessment, so your governance is both documented and always improving.
Assessment
Essentials
Technical controls
Automation & enforcement
Ongoing maintenance
Assessment
Know what you’ve got
We start by performing a full Microsoft 365 security audit by mapping your environment: where data is stored, who can access it, and where the risks are. This reveals oversharing, outdated permissions and sensitive data in the wrong places, giving you a clear action plan to improve security straight away. This discovery phase also acts as a Microsoft 365 risk assessment, prioritising remediation so you can address the highest‑impact issues first.
Essentials
Get the basics right
Once the issues are known, we focus on quick, high-impact improvements. That could mean tidying SharePoint structures, adjusting permissions, setting safer defaults or archiving outdated data to create an immediate boost in security and usability.
Technical controls
Protect and prevent
With the basics in place, we apply Microsoft’s built-in tools to safeguard information. Using sensitivity labels, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules and secure sharing controls, we help prevent accidental or unauthorised data exposure while supporting users to work effectively.
Automation & enforcement
Make it effortless
Good governance shouldn’t rely on people remembering to “do the right thing”. We use automation to apply rules consistently – for example, auto-labelling files containing personal data or enforcing retention policies automatically.
Ongoing maintenance
Stay secure and compliant
Data management isn’t a one-off project. We deliver continuous Microsoft 365 security monitoring with alerting and periodic reviews to surface anomalies, misconfigurations and emerging risks. Through regular reviews, reporting and updates, we make sure your controls stay aligned with how your organisation operates and the regulations you’re working to.
What are the advantages of Microsoft 365 data security?
Microsoft 365 data security comes with built-in protections to safeguard your organisation. This offers a variety of advantages for organisations when combined with our Data Security Framework, including:
Enhanced security
Native Microsoft 365 tools act as a frontline defence against various cybersecurity threats, helping you proactively detect and prevent attacks while reducing the risk and cost of data breaches.
Full compliance
Microsoft 365 offers features that can simplify your compliance efforts. While these tools don’t automatically make you compliant, they help meet technical requirements and demonstrate your commitment to data security.
Workflow collaboration
Safe sharing and collaboration are central to the Microsoft 365 experience. Tools such as version control, audit trails, and granular permissions help keep your data secure while supporting efficient teamwork.
How does the Data Security Framework support Microsoft 365 data security compliance?
The Data Security Framework offers organisations a clear, scalable roadmap to achieve and maintain compliance with evolving data protection and cybersecurity standards, aligned with frameworks such as ISO 27001 and GDPR. In particular, it supports GDPR compliance for Microsoft 365 by strengthening classification, retention, access control and accountability.
It incorporates best practices across five key stages – Assessment, Essentials, Technical Controls, Automation & Enforcement, and Ongoing Maintenance – supported by well-defined policies that ensure consistent, documented governance throughout the process of building robust Microsoft 365 data security defences.
The Data Security Framework supports organisations working toward ISO 27001 data security certification by aligning controls, documentation and continuous improvement.
| Standard | Compliance focus | Data Security Framework |
| ISO 27001 | ISMS controls such as asset classification, access management, policy development and continual improvement. | Assessment: Identifies risks and sensitive data. Technical Controls, Automation & Enforcement: Applies controls such as DLP and access restrictions. Ongoing Maintenance: Delivers alerts, reports, and audit trails. Written Policies: Establishes formal data handling and retention policies. |
| UK GDPR | Requires strong data minimisation, integrity, confidentiality and accountability measures. | Technical Controls, Automation & Enforcement: Implements security controls and audit logging. Ongoing Maintenance: Provides continuous oversight and evidence of accountability. Written Policies: Defines policy-led classification, retention, and access controls. |
| NCSC 10 Steps to Cybersecurity | Addresses risk management, user awareness, device security and incident response. | Assessment: Maps data and identifies risks. Ongoing Maintenance: Provides alerts and incident visibility. Written Policies: Offers clear user guidance and policy direction. |
| NHS DSP Toolkit & PCI-DSS | Requires structured governance, access control, and incident logging. | Technical Controls, Automation & Enforcement: Implements secure access, data classification, and sharing restrictions. Ongoing Maintenance: Maintains audit trails and monitors for breaches. |
| M365 Copilot Readiness | Secure implementation of AI tools and safeguarding of sensitive information. | Technical Controls, Automation & Enforcement: Implements access restrictions and automated measures to prevent data exposure. Written Policies: Establishes data labelling and organisational structure. |
Safe AI adoption with Microsoft 365 Copilot data preparation
By following the stages of the Data Security Framework, you not only improve clarity and security – you also prepare your organisation for tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot. A well-governed, clearly labelled and securely managed data estate means Copilot can work safely and effectively from day one.
If your data is messy, poorly structured or accessible to the wrong people, AI will amplify those problems. With the ramsac Data Security Framework in place, you create a strong, structured foundation so Copilot surfaces the right information to the right users, supporting productivity without compromising security.
Why is safe Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption important?
Safe Copilot adoption is essential for Microsoft 365 data security.
Copilot scans your environment, accessing all the sensitive data a user is permitted to see – often far more than necessary.
ramsac will help you roll out Copilot safely by reducing excessive user access and identifying suspicious AI activity that could threaten your security.
Our Data Security Framework allows you to:
- Automatically find and classify sensitive data across Microsoft 365, showing exactly where it lives and who can access it.
- Apply accurate, actionable MPIP labels, closing manual gaps and automatically re-labelling data to strengthen cyber defences.
- Enforce least-privilege access across Microsoft 365 by removing risky permissions and shared links, ensuring only the right users have access to sensitive data.
- Uncover data exposure by analysing permissions in a single interface.
- Detects threats from attackers using behaviour-based alerts and enables automated responses for complete risk visibility.
- Streamline cross-cloud investigations by monitoring data access in Microsoft 365 and file shares, providing a complete audit trail.
Your journey to secure, well-governed data
Data drives productivity, but without governance it quickly becomes a risk. The ramsac Data Security Framework offers a flexible model to help organisations understand, protect, and manage their information
Why choose ramsac to help manage your 365 data?
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