Mastering eDiscovery in Microsoft Purview: A Real-World Guide to Incident Investigation

Introduction

In today’s digital age, ensuring compliance and investigating incidents like data leaks are critical for organizations. Microsoft Purview’s eDiscovery tools provide a robust way to identify, preserve, and review electronically stored information (ESI). In this blog, we’ll walk you through a real-world scenario of investigating a suspected internal data leak, complete with step-by-step guidance to leverage eDiscovery effectively.

The Scenario: Investigating an Internal Data Leak

Imagine your organization suspects that a confidential project file was shared externally without authorization. The compliance team must act quickly to investigate the incident, preserve critical evidence, and prepare a report for legal review.

This blog will guide you through using Microsoft Purview eDiscovery to:

• Set up an eDiscovery case.
• Search and filter for relevant data.
• Apply legal holds to preserve evidence.
• Review findings and export them for external legal teams.

Step 1: Setting Up an eDiscovery Case

The journey begins by creating a new eDiscovery case in Microsoft Purview. Here’s how:

1. Log in to the Microsoft Purview Compliance Portal.
2. Navigate to eDiscovery > Advanced eDiscovery.
3. Create a case titled “Confidential Data Leak Investigation.”
4. Assign roles (e.g., eDiscovery Manager and Reviewer) to the appropriate team members.

Step 2: Searching for Evidence

eDiscovery allows you to run detailed content searches across multiple locations. For this scenario:

• Keywords: Search for terms like “confidential,” “project file,” or “internal use only.”
• Locations: Include the employee’s Exchange mailbox, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
• Time Frame: Filter data from the last 30 days to narrow results.

Step 3: Applying Legal Holds

To prevent accidental deletion or tampering, place legal holds on critical data sources:

1. Select the suspect employee’s mailbox and OneDrive.
2. Enable the hold within the eDiscovery case to preserve all relevant content.

Step 4: Reviewing and Analyzing Results

Add search results to a Review Set for detailed analysis. Use filters to refine data and identify emails or files sent to external recipients. Tag findings to categorize them for further action.

Step 5: Exporting Data for Legal Teams

Export your findings in a standard format (e.g., PST or CSV) for sharing with external legal teams. This ensures the evidence is preserved and accessible for further review.

Bonus: Automating eDiscovery with PowerShell

Streamline your investigations with PowerShell scripts. For example:

Run a content search:

Export search results:

Best Practices for eDiscovery Success

1. Define Clear Roles: Assign appropriate permissions to compliance and legal teams.
2. Refine Searches: Use KQL (Kusto Query Language) to target specific content efficiently.
3. Integrate Tools: Leverage Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Sentinel for comprehensive investigations.

Conclusion

Microsoft Purview’s eDiscovery tools empower organizations to manage compliance investigations with precision and efficiency. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can confidently handle even the most complex cases. Whether you’re addressing a suspected data leak or ensuring regulatory compliance, eDiscovery in Purview is your go-to solution.

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