A new study has found Microsoft Purview can reduce the likelihood of a data breach by 30 per cent. The Forrester Consulting study, commissioned by Microsoft, also reported a 355 per cent return on investment over three years for a composite organisation.

The analysis highlighted significant cost savings and efficiency gains for data security, governance, and compliance teams. The findings are detailed in a recent Microsoft security blog post.

Herain Oberoi, Microsoft's Vice President for Data Security, Compliance, and Privacy, writes, "The composite organization in the study faces a 70% annual likelihood of experiencing a data breach, with potential costs exceeding $US3.3 million.

“Yet many enterprises still operate with fragmented tools, manual processes, and limited visibility into where sensitive data resides or how it’s accessed. This lack of visibility increases the risk of insider threats, non-compliance, and operational inefficiencies."

The report positions unified platforms as a solution to this complexity. Organisations are scaling their use of cloud, AI, and remote collaboration tools, making a unified strategy essential.

The Forrester study explored the tangible benefits of integrating data security, governance, and compliance into a single ecosystem. Oberoi stated that data security is not just a technical requirement but a business-critical function.

The report found the composite organisation experienced benefits of $US3.0 million over three years versus costs of $US633,000. This added up to a net present value of $US2.3 million.

A 30% reduction in breach likelihood translated into more than $US225,000 in annual savings from avoided security incidents and fines. Organisations also saved nearly $US500,000 over three years by consolidating tools and avoiding legacy costs.

Major operational efficiency gains were also identified. Security teams reduced investigation time by 75 per cent with centralised logs and automated alerts.

Compliance and records management teams also saw significant improvements. Manual compliance effort was reduced by 60 per cent, thanks to automated classification and audit workflows. This helped elevate the role of compliance from a cost centre to a strategic business enabler.

A Records and Information Management Lead for a government body stated, "Our records and information management team has gone from being stuck in the corner to now where we get invited to strategic planning meetings".

Beyond the numbers, the study reported a cultural shift where data security became a shared responsibility. Employees began to see themselves as stewards of data, leading to more mindful data handling. This allowed security and compliance teams to participate in broader business planning. Their insights became valuable for product development and operational improvements.

The full Forrester study can be found at the Microsoft security blog: