In short
Teramind vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management: Purview correlates Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Graph signals into pseudonymised alerts and cases, licensed through Microsoft 365 E5 or add-ons. Teramind uses an endpoint agent to record activity across any application, adding productivity analytics, screen recording and content-aware DLP. Purview suits Microsoft-centred risk; Teramind sees beyond Microsoft 365.
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Teramind and Purview Insider Risk Management at a glance
This summary uses Teramind's material and Microsoft Learn documentation as we found them on 1 November 2026. Microsoft updates Purview frequently and marks some features as preview, so check the current position for your tenant.
| Teramind | Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management | |
|---|---|---|
| How it sees activity | An endpoint agent records activity across any application and website | Correlates logs from Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Graph, plus other connected indicators |
| Main focus | Activity monitoring, insider risk, DLP and productivity analytics | Insider risk detection, triage, investigation and case management |
| Privacy approach | Role-based access, schedules, exclusions, masking and a visible Revealed agent | Privacy by design: users pseudonymised by default, role-based access and audit logs |
| Screen capture | Screen recording and live view on every plan | Forensic evidence clips: an opt-in capacity add-on, off by default, with dual authorisation for policy creation |
| Productivity analytics | Productivity profiles, active and idle time, schedules and workforce dashboards | Not its purpose |
| Blocking | Agent can warn or block on the computer; content blocking on the DLP plan | Enforcement comes through other Purview solutions such as DLP |
| Licensing | Starter, UAM, DLP and Enterprise plans, per monitored user | Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft Purview Suite or Insider Risk Management add-ons |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS and Linux computers and virtual desktop sessions | Microsoft 365 services; forensic evidence on Windows 10 and 11 Enterprise devices |
The two start from opposite ends: Purview from the cloud services your data lives in, Teramind from the computer where people actually work.
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What Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management does
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management uses logs from Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Graph to spot risky activity, based on policies you create from templates. Microsoft's documentation lists templates including data theft by departing users, data leaks (with variants for priority and risky users), security policy violations, risky AI usage and risky agents. The departing users template relies on a Microsoft 365 HR connector, and the security policy templates use Microsoft Defender for Endpoint alerts.
The workflow runs from policy to action:
- Policies define the triggering events and risk indicators to watch, who is in scope and for how long.
- Alerts are raised when indicators match, for reviewers to triage, open a case or dismiss.
- Investigation uses user activity reports, an activity chart and a content explorer showing the files and email messages tied to an alert.
- Action ranges from a reminder notice to the user to escalation into Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium); alerts can also be exported to a SIEM through the Office 365 Management APIs.
Microsoft describes it as built with privacy by design: users are pseudonymised by default, and role-based access and audit logs control who sees what. Forensic evidence, which captures visual clips of risky activity, is an opt-in add-on bought as capacity; it is off by default, needs dual authorisation and explicit approval for each user, and runs on Windows 10 and 11 Enterprise devices with the Purview client installed.
What Teramind does
Teramind works from the endpoint. Its agent records the activity your policy allows across any application or website, not only Microsoft 365, and enforces rules on the computer itself:
- Activity across all apps: websites, applications, files, email clients, instant messaging, printing, console commands and AI chats, from the UAM plan.
- Screen-level evidence: live view and session recording on every plan, and from the UAM plan an option to record only when a rule is broken.
- Productivity analytics: productivity profiles, active and idle time and workforce dashboards. See employee productivity monitoring software.
- Insider risk and DLP: behaviour rules, anomaly detection, dynamic risk scoring and, on the Teramind DLP plan, content rules with redaction and blocking.
- Microsoft integration: Entra ID sync, Outlook calendar sync from the UAM plan and, on the DLP plan, Microsoft Purview Information Protection label integration (currently through Teramind's Legacy interface).
It also covers macOS and Linux computers and terminal server, Citrix and VMware Horizon sessions, with fewer features on Mac and Linux than on Windows. See the Teramind agent.
Weighing up the options?
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Using Teramind and Purview together
Because they see different things, running both can make sense. One way to split the work:
- Purview watches activity in Microsoft 365 services such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange and Teams, with sensitivity labels and Purview DLP policies protecting the content itself.
- Teramind watches the computer: non-Microsoft applications and websites, USB and printing, clipboard and AI chats, and gives reviewers screen-level context and productivity data.
- Shared labels: Teramind's DLP plan can use Microsoft Purview Information Protection labels in its rules (currently through its Legacy interface), so the same classification can drive rules in both places.
- One investigation view: Purview can export alerts to a SIEM through the Office 365 Management APIs (in preview), and Teramind integrates with SIEM tools through its Legacy interface, so a security team can correlate them.
If you are only weighing whether you need anything beyond Microsoft 365 E5, the deciding question is usually how much of your sensitive work happens outside Microsoft apps, and whether you need productivity insight as well as risk detection.
Which suits you
Purview Insider Risk Management is likely to suit you if:
- You already license Microsoft 365 E5 or the Purview Suite, and your sensitive data lives mainly in Microsoft 365.
- You want pseudonymised, case-based investigation tied to eDiscovery and Purview DLP.
- You do not need productivity analytics or routine screen recording.
Teramind is likely to suit you if:
- Important work happens in applications and websites outside Microsoft 365.
- You need productivity analytics alongside insider risk, from one agent.
- You need enforcement on the computer, macOS or Linux coverage, or on-premises hosting.
The employee monitoring software comparison hub sets both against ActivTrak, Hubstaff and Insightful.
Licensing: what you may already own
The licensing models are very different, which is why it pays to check before buying anything new:
| Teramind | Purview Insider Risk Management | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is bought | Teramind plans per monitored user, with a five-seat minimum | Included in Microsoft 365 E5 (and A5 and G5) and the Microsoft Purview Suite, or as Insider Risk Management add-ons |
| Screen evidence | Included on every plan | Forensic evidence is an opt-in capacity add-on |
| Prerequisites | Agent on each monitored computer | A supported Microsoft 365 tenant region; HR connector for departing-user policies; Purview client and onboarding for forensic evidence |
| Terms | Monthly or annual on Starter, UAM and DLP; Enterprise is tailored | Through your Microsoft licensing agreement |
If you already license Microsoft 365 E5, Insider Risk Management is already included, so it is worth piloting before buying another tool. If you are on Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3, adding Teramind may be a more direct route to endpoint visibility than upgrading every user. We do not publish prices: ask us for a quote and we can compare the options against your current licences.
The UK law angle
Both tools monitor workers, so the ICO's guidance applies equally: a lawful basis, a clear purpose, transparency to staff, a DPIA for high-risk monitoring and care with special category data, such as messages to union representatives or occupational health. Purview's pseudonymisation by default and approval steps for forensic capture are examples of the kind of safeguards that support proportionality. Teramind offers comparable controls, including role-based access, masking and recording only on rule violations, but they have to be configured.
Our employee monitoring DPIA page explains how these settings feed the assessment, and the monitoring emails at work page covers the ICO's stricter expectations for message content. This is general information; take legal advice for your situation.
How Forever Systems helps
We supply, set up and support Teramind, and Forever Group also helps organisations with Microsoft 365. We can look at what your current Microsoft licences already include, where Purview covers your risks and where Teramind would add visibility or control, so you do not pay twice for the same job. If Teramind fits, we scope the plan and hosting, arrange a trial, roll out the agent and configure it around your DPIA. Contact us to talk it through.
How Forever Systems helps with employee monitoring
We supply, set up and support Teramind for UK organisations. Monitoring only works if it is lawful and trusted, so we help you collect what you can justify rather than everything the product can record.
- Scoping: we talk through what you want to achieve, who and which devices are in scope, and which Teramind plan and hosting option fit
- Inputs for your paperwork: we explain what each setting records, so your data protection impact assessment and monitoring policy describe the real set-up
- Privacy-first configuration: recording schedules, exclusions, masking, role-based access and a visible agent where that is right for you
- Deployment: agent roll-out through your existing device management tools, plus the rules, alerts and dashboards that answer your questions
- Ongoing help: we can help your administrators tune rules, keep agents up to date and review plans and licence counts at renewal
We are an IT and cyber security provider, not a law firm: for legal questions about monitoring your staff, take advice from an employment or data protection lawyer. Ask us for a quote and we will reply with options.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management employee monitoring software?
It monitors user activity for insider risk, using logs from Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Graph rather than an activity-recording agent. It is designed for detecting and investigating risky behaviour, with users pseudonymised by default, rather than for productivity monitoring or routine screen recording.
Which licence includes Purview Insider Risk Management?
Microsoft lists Microsoft 365 E5 (and A5 and G5), the Microsoft Purview Suite, and Microsoft 365 E5, A5, F5 and G5 Insider Risk Management add-ons. Forensic evidence is a separate opt-in capacity add-on. Ask us for a quote and we can check what your current licences include.
Does Microsoft have employee monitoring software?
Microsoft's closest tools sit in Microsoft Purview: Insider Risk Management detects risky activity using Microsoft 365 signals, and Communication Compliance checks messages in Teams, Outlook and other apps for policy breaches such as sharing sensitive information or harassing language. Neither is designed for productivity analytics or routine screen recording across all applications.
Can Teramind and Purview work together?
Yes. Teramind's DLP plan can use Microsoft Purview Information Protection labels in its rules, both products can send alerts to a SIEM, and Teramind syncs with Microsoft Entra ID. Teramind's Purview and SIEM integrations currently run through its Legacy interface. A common pattern is Purview for Microsoft 365 data and Teramind for activity on the computer.
Does Purview record employees' screens?
Only if you buy and enable forensic evidence, an opt-in capacity add-on that is off by default. Policy creation needs dual authorisation, each user must be explicitly approved for capturing, and devices must run Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise and be onboarded with the Purview client. Teramind offers screen recording on every plan.
Still deciding?
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