Azure Unstructured Data Detection

Learn how to detect unstructured data in Azure environments. Follow step-by-step guidance for GDPR compliance.

shadow data

GDPR

azure

Why It Matters

The core goal is to identify every location where unstructured data is stored within your Azure environment, so you can remediate unintended exposures before they become breaches. Scanning for unstructured data in Azure is a priority for organizations subject to GDPR, as it helps you prove you've discovered and accounted for all sensitive data assets—mitigating the risk of shadow data proliferation across storage accounts, file shares, and blob containers.

Primary Risk: Shadow data proliferation across Azure services

Relevant Regulation: GDPR General Data Protection Regulation

A thorough scan delivers immediate visibility, laying the foundation for automated policy enforcement and ongoing compliance.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Azure Global Administrator or Compliance Administrator
  • Storage Account Contributor permissions
  • Microsoft Purview Data Reader role

External Tools

  • Azure CLI or PowerShell
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • API credentials

Prior Setup

  • Azure subscription active
  • Storage accounts provisioned
  • Network access configured
  • Resource group permissions set

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. By leveraging advanced AI-powered Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Named Entity Recognition (NER) models, Cyera automatically identifies sensitive information within unstructured data formats like documents, emails, and files stored across Azure Blob Storage, SharePoint, and OneDrive, ensuring comprehensive GDPR compliance monitoring in real time.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure Azure storage access

Set up service principal with appropriate permissions to access storage accounts, blob containers, and file shares across your Azure subscription.

az ad sp create-for-rbac --name "cyera-dspm-connector"

2
Enable scanning workflows

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → DSPM → Add new. Select Azure, provide your subscription details and service principal credentials, then define the scan scope to include storage accounts, SharePoint sites, and OneDrive locations.

3
Integrate with third-party tools

Configure webhooks or streaming exports to push scan results into Azure Sentinel or your SIEM. Link findings to existing ticketing systems like Azure DevOps or ServiceNow for remediation workflows.

4
Validate results and tune policies

Review the initial detection report, prioritize files with large volumes of personal data, and adjust detection rules to reduce false positives. Schedule recurring scans to maintain visibility across your expanding Azure data estate.

Architecture & Workflow

Azure Storage Services

Source of unstructured data across Blob, Files, and SharePoint

Cyera Connector

Pulls metadata and samples files for NLP classification

Cyera AI Engine

Applies NER models and content analysis for detection

Reporting & Remediation

Dashboards, alerts, and automated workflows

Data Flow Summary

Enumerate Storage → Send to Cyera → Apply NLP Detection → Route Findings

Best Practices & Tips

Performance Considerations

  • Start with smaller storage accounts or containers
  • Use file type filtering to focus on documents
  • Implement sampling for very large file repositories

Tuning Detection Rules

  • Maintain allowlists for template or test files
  • Adjust NLP confidence thresholds
  • Configure regex patterns for custom data types

Common Pitfalls

  • Missing archived or cold storage tiers
  • Over-scanning temporary or system files
  • Neglecting to monitor newly created storage accounts

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🛡️ Prevent: Set up data loss prevention policies 🔧 Fix: Remediate exposed unstructured data