Why Organizations Need This
As AI tools become deeply embedded in workplace workflows and cloud adoption accelerates, security gaps have widened. Employees use sanctioned applications, unsanctioned cloud storage, and AI productivity tools, often simultaneously. Traditional security approaches struggle to maintain visibility and control across this fragmented landscape.
The partnership addresses a fundamental problem: organizations need consistent security policies across endpoints, SaaS platforms, infrastructure, and network traffic without creating operational bottlenecks or compromising user experience.
Key Integrations
Microsoft Purview Integration
Netskope’s platform now syncs seamlessly with Microsoft Purview, extending Microsoft’s sensitive data discovery and classification capabilities to a broader spectrum of applications. This includes sanctioned cloud services, AI tools, and unsanctioned cloud storage solutions.
The integration creates a single pane of glass for monitoring and governing data use across heterogeneous technology landscapes. Organizations can implement consistent DLP strategies across:
- Endpoints: Employee devices regardless of location
- SaaS applications: Both sanctioned and shadow IT
- IaaS environments: Cloud infrastructure workloads
- Network traffic: Data in transit across the enterprise
Entra Global Secure Access Integration
Netskope’s Advanced Security Service Edge (SSE) solution is now available directly within Microsoft Entra Global Secure Access. This allows companies to combine Microsoft’s identity and access management controls with Netskope’s DLP and advanced threat protection capabilities.
Netskope claims to be the only platform provider offering full integration across Entra GSA’s three core features:
| Feature | Capability |
|---|---|
| Data Protection | Consistent security controls regardless of employee location or access level |
| Threat Defense | Advanced threat protection integrated with identity-based access decisions |
| SD-WAN | Secure network connectivity with unified policy enforcement |
Microsoft 365 Copilot Oversight
Netskope has added Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) API support for Microsoft 365 Copilot, giving administrators enhanced control over data interactions within Microsoft’s AI productivity suite.
Through the API, businesses can:
- Implement data-at-rest policies: Control how sensitive information is stored within Copilot interactions
- Monitor user actions: Track how employees use AI-powered features in real-time
- Receive near real-time alerts: Get immediate notifications for potential security risks
- Enforce DLP policies: Prevent sensitive data from being exposed through AI-generated content
The goal is supporting responsible AI adoption while ensuring powerful tools are used safely and securely.
John Martin, Chief Product Officer at Netskope, emphasized the partnership’s strategic importance: “By uniting Netskope’s leading SASE and SSE capabilities with Microsoft’s robust cloud ecosystem, organisations are empowered to embrace cloud and AI with confidence and security. Our latest advancements with Microsoft, now generally available to all customers, underscore Netskope’s commitment to meet the rapidly evolving needs of modern enterprises.”
Joy Chik, President of Identity and Network Access at Microsoft, framed it as collaborative problem-solving: “Security is truly a team sport, and these integrated solutions with Netskope proves that collaboration is key to tackling today’s most complex cyber challenges. By integrating Microsoft’s identity and network access solution, Microsoft Entra, with Netskope’s Security Service Edge (SSE) capabilities, we’re solving critical customer security issues through a single, unified solution. This allows organisations to move faster toward a comprehensive Zero Trust architecture, protecting users, data, and applications everywhere without compromising performance or user experience.”
Availability
These integrated solutions are available through Microsoft’s commercial distribution channels and Netskope’s partner network, making them accessible to organizations of all sizes.
What This Means for Enterprises
| Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|
| Unified Visibility | Single view across sanctioned apps, shadow IT, and AI tools |
| Consistent Policies | Same security rules apply regardless of location or application |
| AI Governance | Control over how employees use AI productivity tools without blocking innovation |
| Zero Trust Architecture | Identity-based access combined with continuous threat monitoring |
| Reduced Complexity | Fewer security tools to manage while maintaining comprehensive protection |
The Netskope-Microsoft partnership signals a shift in how enterprise security is delivered. Rather than deploying point solutions for each new threat or technology, organizations can now leverage integrated platforms that combine identity management, network security, and data protection.
As AI continues embedding itself into business workflows, the security challenge isn’t whether to allow these tools—it’s how to enable them safely. This collaboration provides a practical answer: unified policies, real-time monitoring, and consistent enforcement across the entire technology stack.
For enterprises navigating hybrid work, multi-cloud environments, and AI adoption simultaneously, integrated security solutions have moved from nice-to-have to essential. The question is no longer whether to integrate security tools, but how quickly organizations can implement unified architectures that protect data without hampering productivity.
