Microsoft’s Expanding Posture Vision
At Microsoft Build 2025, the message was unmistakable — security posture is no longer about systems; it’s about data.
With the evolution of Defender for Cloud and Purview, Microsoft introduced a complete posture management continuum that spans from cloud configuration to data behavior.
This continuum is defined by two core pillars:
- Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) — safeguarding cloud infrastructure.
- Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) — protecting the data itself.
Together, they represent Microsoft’s unified approach to continuous risk discovery, compliance readiness, and responsible AI adoption.
“CSPM hardens where your data lives. DSPM governs how your data behaves.”
— Gaurav Agarwaal
1. CSPM — The Architecture of Cloud Defense
Definition and Purpose
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is Microsoft’s continuous process for identifying and remediating misconfigurations, unauthorized access, and compliance gaps across multicloud environments.
It automates visibility, threat detection, and remediation for workloads running on Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud.
According to Microsoft Security, CSPM tools monitor and secure:
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
- Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
All while maintaining compliance with frameworks like ISO, NIST, HIPAA, and GDPR.
Key Benefits
- Comprehensive Control: Enforces organization-wide cloud security policies and monitors regulatory updates automatically.
- Continuous Awareness: Delivers real-time posture monitoring across servers, containers, databases, and virtual networks.
- Automated Remediation: Uses AI-driven workflows to fix misconfigurations without manual intervention.
- Actionable Recommendations: Provides prioritized fixes for insecure identities, open ports, and misaligned permissions.
How CSPM Works
CSPM continuously scans resource configurations, visualizes risk chains, and surfaces findings in Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
It correlates signals across cloud workloads, entitlements, and APIs, integrating with Microsoft Sentinel for threat hunting and Security Exposure Management for unified risk quantification.
Core Capabilities
| Capability | Function |
| Visibility & Discovery | Identify all cloud resources and their configuration states. |
| Continuous Monitoring | Detect security drift and misconfigurations in real time. |
| Compliance Automation | Map cloud posture to major standards (CIS, ISO, NIST). |
| Threat Detection | Integrate posture risk with Defender threat analytics. |
| Remediation Workflows | Apply guided or automated fixes directly from the Defender portal. |
“CSPM builds the situational map — a living blueprint of every asset, configuration, and risk signal in your cloud.”
— Gaurav Agarwaal
2. DSPM — The Next Layer of Data Security
Definition and Purpose
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), delivered through Microsoft Purview, extends posture management from cloud systems to the data itself.
It identifies sensitive information, monitors how it’s used across Copilots, agents, and AI apps, and enforces policies that prevent oversharing or unauthorized access.
DSPM operates natively inside the Purview portal under
Solutions → Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)
and automatically performs weekly data risk assessments across an organization’s most active data sources.
Key Capabilities
- Data Discovery & Classification: Automatically locates and labels sensitive data across Microsoft 365, Fabric, Azure, and multicloud systems.
- Data Risk Assessments: Evaluates oversharing and exposure risks in top 100 SharePoint sites and Fabric workspaces.
- One-Click Protection Policies: Enables immediate activation of DLP and sensitivity-labeling rules.
- Compliance Integration: Links posture results to Data Loss Prevention (DLP), Information Protection, and Insider Risk Management.
- Activity Explorer: Displays AI interactions, sensitive info types, and data references — creating full auditability for Copilot and AI usage.
How DSPM Works
Once activated, DSPM continuously gathers insights into data access patterns and AI interactions.
Each identified risk — whether an overshared document, unlabeled dataset, or risky AI prompt — is surfaced in the Recommendations pane with guided remediation.
Microsoft emphasizes that no additional setup is required for its weekly automated assessments, making DSPM a proactive defense mechanism for data movement in AI-enabled environments.
Compliance and Protection Loop
DSPM integrates directly with:
- Information Protection – For labeling and encryption.
- DLP – For policy enforcement and restriction.
- Data Lifecycle Management – For automated retention and deletion.
- Compliance Manager – For mapping AI-related regulatory controls.
“DSPM turns data governance from a manual process into an automated posture — where every dataset carries its own guardrails.”
— Gaurav Agarwaal
3. CSPM vs. DSPM — Two Layers, One Strategy
| Layer | Platform | Focus Area | Outcome |
| CSPM | Microsoft Defender for Cloud | Cloud resources, workloads, configurations | Reduces attack surface by hardening cloud environments |
| DSPM | Microsoft Purview | Data sensitivity, sharing, AI access | Prevents oversharing and enforces responsible data use |
Both share the same Microsoft philosophy — continuous posture, automated defense, and measurable trust.
CSPM protects the infrastructure layer; DSPM protects the information layer.
Signals from both integrate into Microsoft Security Exposure Management and Defender XDR, delivering a unified security view across cloud, identity, and data.
4. Microsoft’s Unified Posture Stack — End-to-End Visibility
Microsoft’s documentation outlines a connected security fabric that works across both CSPM and DSPM:
1. Discovery: Identify cloud resources and sensitive data across environments.
2. Assessment: Evaluate risk posture through continuous monitoring.
3. Remediation: Apply guided fixes or one-click protections.
4. Compliance: Align with regulatory standards and internal policies.
5. Monitoring: Maintain dynamic posture visibility and trend analysis.
This “stacked” approach turns security from a patchwork of policies into a continuous system of assurance.
Prescriptive Guidance for CXOs
Step 1: Activate both CSPM (Defender for Cloud) and DSPM (Purview) to cover cloud-to-data posture.
Step 2: Integrate findings into Microsoft Security Exposure Management for unified risk scoring.
Step 3: Use Secure Score (CSPM) and Data Risk Assessments (DSPM) as measurable KPIs.
Step 4: Automate labeling, DLP, and remediation to close data exposure gaps.
Step 5: Report posture metrics monthly to the board — posture visibility is the new governance benchmark.
“Enterprises that connect infrastructure posture to data posture will own the next decade of trusted AI innovation.”
— Gaurav Agarwaal
Closing Reflection — Posture as the New Perimeter
Security no longer begins at the firewall — it begins with posture.
With CSPM and DSPM, Microsoft has built an architecture of defense that spans every layer of the digital estate: the environment, the data, and the intelligence built on top.
Together, they form a closed loop of visibility, prevention, and governance.
“In the age of AI, posture isn’t just about protection — it’s about proving you’re in control.”
— Gaurav Agarwaal
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