Azure Unstructured Data Exposure Prevention

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

data exposure

GDPR

azure

Why It Matters

The core goal is to proactively secure unstructured data across your Azure environment before it becomes exposed to unauthorized access. Preventing exposure of unstructured data in Azure is critical for organizations subject to GDPR, as it helps you implement privacy by design principles and avoid costly data breaches that could result in regulatory fines and reputational damage.

Primary Risk: Unauthorized access to sensitive unstructured data

Relevant Regulation: GDPR General Data Protection Regulation

A comprehensive prevention strategy establishes robust access controls, encryption, and monitoring to safeguard documents, images, logs, and other unstructured content throughout their lifecycle.

Prerequisites

Permissions & Roles

  • Azure Global Administrator or Security Administrator
  • Storage Account Contributor permissions
  • Ability to configure Azure Policy and RBAC

External Tools

  • Azure CLI or PowerShell
  • Cyera DSPM account
  • Microsoft Purview (optional)

Prior Setup

  • Azure Storage accounts provisioned
  • Azure Active Directory configured
  • Network security groups defined
  • Logging and monitoring enabled

Introducing Cyera

Cyera is a modern Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) platform that discovers, classifies, and continuously monitors your sensitive data across cloud services. Using advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, Cyera automatically identifies and classifies unstructured data in Azure Storage, helping you prevent exposure by implementing proper access controls and encryption policies based on data sensitivity.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Configure Azure Storage security baseline

Enable secure transfer requirements, disable public blob access, and configure private endpoints for all storage accounts containing unstructured data.

az storage account update --name mystorageaccount --resource-group myresourcegroup --https-only true --allow-blob-public-access false

2
Implement AI-powered data discovery

In the Cyera portal, navigate to Integrations → Azure → Add Connection. Provide your Azure credentials and configure scanning scope to include all storage accounts, file shares, and blob containers with unstructured data.

3
Apply automated access controls

Configure Azure RBAC policies based on Cyera's data classification results. Set up conditional access policies and implement Azure Information Protection labels for automatic protection of sensitive unstructured content.

4
Enable continuous monitoring and alerting

Set up Azure Monitor alerts for unauthorized access attempts and configure Cyera's real-time monitoring to detect new sensitive data uploads or permission changes that could lead to exposure risks.

Architecture & Workflow

Azure Storage Services

Blob Storage, File Shares, Data Lake Storage

Cyera AI Engine

NLP-based classification and risk assessment

Azure Security Controls

RBAC, Private Endpoints, Encryption

Monitoring & Compliance

Azure Monitor, Security Center, Audit Logs

Prevention Workflow

Discover Data → AI Classification → Apply Controls → Monitor Access

Best Practices & Tips

Access Control Strategy

  • Implement principle of least privilege
  • Use managed identities where possible
  • Regular access reviews and cleanup

Encryption & Protection

  • Enable encryption at rest and in transit
  • Use customer-managed keys for sensitive data
  • Configure Azure Information Protection labels

Common Pitfalls

  • Leaving default public access permissions
  • Inadequate network access controls
  • Missing audit trails for access attempts

References & Further Reading

Next Steps

🔍 Detect: Identify existing unstructured data exposures 🔧 Fix: Remediate discovered unstructured data exposures