Microsoft Purview | Data Security Investigations: Introducing new custom examination focus areas

Microsoft Purview Data Security Investigations will support custom examination focus areas from mid-May 2026, allowing admins to tailor AI-powered investigations to prioritize specific sensitive information. This feature respects existing permissions, requires no pre-rollout action, and enhances investigation efficiency without changing data storage or access. Microsoft Purview Data Security Investigations (DSI) is adding support for custom examination focus areas. This feature will empower admins to tailor examinations to their specific needs based on the type of investigation being performed and the types of information they want to prioritize. This capability extends DSI’s existing AI‑powered deep content analysis used to identify data security risks. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 560598. When this will happen Public Preview: Rollout begins in mid‑May 2026 and is expected to complete by mid‑June 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): Rollout begins in mid‑June 2026 and is expected to complete by late June 2026. How this affects your organization Who is affected Microsoft 365 admins and investigators using Microsoft Purview Data Security Investigations Tenants with access to DSI What will happen Admins can create custom examination focus areas when running Data Security Investigations. Custom focus areas allow investigations to prioritize specific types of sensitive information relevant to the investigation. AI-powered deep content analysis uses these focus areas to surface potential data security risks more efficiently. The feature is available by default to eligible tenants once rolled out. Existing DSI permissions, policies, and workflows are respected. There is no change to user workflows unless an admin runs an investigation using custom focus areas. What you can do to prepare No action is required before this feature rolls out. You may want to: Review how your organization currently uses Data Security Investigations. Update internal investigation playbooks or documentation to include custom examination focus areas. Inform security and compliance teams about the new capability. Learn more:  Learn about Data Security Investigations | Microsoft Purview | Microsoft Learn Use examination tools – Use AI analysis in Data Security Investigations | Microsoft Purview | Microsoft Learn Compliance considerations Question Answer Does the change alter how existing customer data is processed, stored, […]

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