• by Ray Schultz , November 20, 2017

Microsoft is previewing its Compliance Manager, a product that helps firms impose internal controls to meet rules like those in the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, the company says.

The solution is now available to firms with a paid or trial subscription to Microsoft’s cloud services.

According to a company blog by Tina Ying, the solution consists of a dashboard that documents the control implementation process for Office 365 to meet the GDPR and other regulations.  

“Customers have told us about their compliance challenges, such as the lack of in-house capabilities to define and implement controls, the lack of collaboration between compliance and IT teams, and inefficiencies in audit preparation activities,” Ying explains.

The dashboard provides data that can help firms streamline their compliance workflow. It also facilitates risk assessment that helps firms be better prepared for auditing, Ying continues.

Users will also receive recommendations for the controls they manage. The objective is to improve their compliance posture, Ying writes.

Ying adds that Microsoft will expand support for such products as Azure and Dynamics 365 as the date for GDPR implementation nears next May.   

In addition, it plans to add regulatory standards like those contained in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Special Publication 800-53.

Users can access Compliance Manager through their Office 365 or Azure Active Directory user accounts.