Centric handles SharePoint data security during migration through a documented framework that covers encryption (in transit, at rest, and during migration), identity and access controls (Entra ID, conditional access, MFA), audit logging and compliance integration, Microsoft Purview deployment for the target environment, sovereign cloud capability where applicable (GCC, GCC High, DoD), incident response, and verification with explicit sign-off from the buyer's security and compliance leadership. The framework is designed to make security an integrated part of the migration plan rather than an afterthought and to give US enterprises in regulated industries the documented posture they need for audit and executive review.
This guide is written for US buyers CIOs, CISOs, security and compliance leads, infrastructure architects, and procurement partners evaluating Centric on data security before a SharePoint Online migration engagement. All specifics are flagged because customer-specific posture is set in the assessment and engagement plan. General guidance, not legal or compliance advice; consult counsel and your security function.
Our Data Security Framework
The Centric SharePoint data security framework has seven domains, each with defined controls and documented sign-off at the appropriate gate.
- Encryption: in transit, at rest, and during migration staging.
- Identity and access: Entra ID, conditional access, MFA, app registrations, privileged identity management.
- Audit logging: Microsoft Purview audit, integration with the buyer's SIEM where required.
- Compliance posture: sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, eDiscovery, records management.
- Sovereign cloud: GCC, GCC High, DoD where applicable.
- Incident response: defined process for security events during the engagement.
- Verification and sign-off: explicit security and compliance sign-off at phase gates.
The framework integrates with the buyer's existing security function rather than replacing it.
|
Security domain |
Centric responsibility |
|
Encryption |
Migration tool selection, staging review, target validation |
|
Identity |
Entra ID app registrations, conditional access, MFA review |
|
Audit |
Purview audit, integration with buyer SIEM where required |
|
Compliance |
Sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, eDiscovery deployment |
|
Sovereign cloud |
GCC/GCC High/DoD configuration where applicable |
|
Incident response |
Documented process, named escalation paths |
|
Sign-off |
Phase-gate sign-off with security and compliance leads |
Talk to a SharePoint Consultant
Encryption (Transit, Rest, Migration)
Encryption posture spans three states.
- In transit: HTTPS/TLS for all migration tool connections to source and target, no plaintext content traversal.
- At rest: SharePoint Online encrypts at rest by default with Microsoft-managed keys; Customer Key (customer-managed) is supported where the buyer requires it.
- During migration staging: migration tools (SPMT, Migration Manager, ShareGate, AvePoint, Quest, Metalogix) have their own staging architectures that are reviewed for encryption posture during tool selection.
The buyer sees the documented posture during the assessment; the engagement plan documents which controls are applied.
Identity and Access (Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA)
Identity is the foundation of SharePoint Online data security. The Centric approach: Entra ID app registrations with least-privilege scopes for migration tooling, conditional access policies that the migration team respects, MFA for all migration team members, privileged identity management for elevated access, and explicit decommissioning of access at engagement close. Service accounts are minimized; app-only authentication is preferred where supported. The buyer's identity team is engaged from kickoff, and identity decisions are documented and signed off.
Audit Logging and Compliance
Audit logging covers the migration activity itself, not just the resulting target content. Migration tool actions are logged. SharePoint Online actions are captured by Microsoft Purview audit.
Where the buyer's security function requires it, audit feeds integrate with the buyer's SIEM (Sentinel, Splunk, others) for centralized monitoring. The pattern that works: audit configured at engagement kickoff, reviewed weekly during execution, and documented in the final sign-off package. Audit retention and accessibility are explicit in the engagement plan.
Microsoft Purview Integration
Microsoft Purview is the unified compliance and governance surface for Microsoft 365 in 2026. The Centric approach during SharePoint migration: deploy or extend Purview sensitivity labels in the target environment based on the buyer's information classification scheme; deploy DLP policies that span SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Teams; configure retention labels and policies for records management requirements; preserve eDiscovery holds across the migration; integrate Purview audit with the buyer's broader monitoring stack. Purview deployment is a defined workstream in regulated engagements and a lighter touch in non-regulated.
Sovereign Cloud Capability (GCC, GCC High, DoD)
Sovereign cloud capability covers federal, defense, intelligence, and specific state and critical-infrastructure scenarios. Centric supports SharePoint Online migrations into Microsoft's GCC, GCC High, and DoD environments with appropriate cleared personnel and contractual frameworks where the engagement requires it.
Sovereign-cloud engagements have additional scope: compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, CMMC, ITAR where applicable), citizenship and clearance requirements, specific tooling constraints, and longer phase-gate sign-off cycles.
The capability is real but specific; engagements should confirm fit early in the scoping conversation. General guidance, not legal or compliance advice; consult counsel and your security function on sovereign requirements.
Incident Response
Security incident response during a SharePoint migration follows a documented process.
- Detection: monitoring of migration tool errors, identity anomalies, and Purview alerts.
- Triage: defined severity levels with response time commitments.
- Containment: documented playbooks for common incident types (unintended permission change, access anomaly, content exposure).
- Communication: notification to the buyer's security function on a defined cadence.
- Post-incident: documented review and remediation.
The incident response process integrates with the buyer's broader incident response posture rather than running parallel to it.
Verification and Sign-Off
Verification and sign-off close the security framework.
- Phase-gate sign-off: explicit sign-off from the buyer's security and compliance leadership at each phase gate (planning, pre-migration, execution per wave, cutover, post-migration).
- Verification artifacts: documented checks at each gate (encryption verification, permission verification, Purview policy verification, audit log review).
- Final sign-off package: a documented summary at engagement close that the buyer's security function can use for audit reference.
The pattern makes security ownership explicit and traceable.
How Security Shows Up in the Engagement?
Security is not a separate workstream; it is integrated into the engagement at every phase.
- Assessment: security and compliance audit is one of the eight categories.
- Planning: target architecture includes the security domains above.
- Pre-migration: Purview deployment, identity validation, sovereign cloud configuration where applicable.
- Execution: audit logging during waves, security verification at each wave.
- Cutover: phase-gate security sign-off.
- Post-migration: verification artifacts and final sign-off package.
Centric runs SharePoint Online migrations through its SharePoint migration & integration practice, as part of the broader Centric SharePoint consulting practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is migration data encrypted in transit?
Yes HTTPS/TLS for all migration tool connections, with documented review of any staging architecture. The migration tool selection includes encryption posture as a criterion.
Do you support customer-managed keys?
SharePoint Online supports Customer Key for customer-managed encryption keys. Centric supports engagement scoping for Customer Key configuration where the buyer requires it.
Can you migrate into GCC High or DoD?
Yes sovereign-cloud engagements are supported with appropriate cleared personnel and contractual frameworks. Confirm fit early in scoping.
How do you handle access during migration?
Least-privilege Entra ID app registrations for tooling, MFA for migration team members, conditional access compliance, and explicit decommissioning at engagement close.
Are migration activities audited?
Yes migration tool actions and SharePoint Online actions are both captured. Audit feeds can integrate with the buyer's SIEM where required.
What about Microsoft Purview deployment?
Purview deployment is a defined workstream in regulated engagements sensitivity labels, DLP, retention, eDiscovery, audit. Scope depends on the buyer's compliance requirements.
Who signs off on security at each phase?
The buyer's security and compliance leadership signs off at each phase gate, with documented verification artifacts. The pattern is designed for audit reference.
Conclusion
Centric handles SharePoint data security during migration as an integrated part of the engagement rather than a separate workstream. Centric's seven-domain framework encryption, identity, audit, compliance, sovereign cloud, incident response, verification and sign-off is designed for US enterprises in regulated industries and adapts in scope for non-regulated environments. The pattern makes security ownership explicit, documented, and traceable through the migration program.
