Data Protection Issues

Fix Microsoft Secure Score Not Increasing After Creating DLP Policies

Rana Garcia Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user's Microsoft Secure Score fails to update and reflect newly implemented Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies in Microsoft Purview.

How to Fix Microsoft Secure Score Not Increasing After Creating DLP Policies

Product: Microsoft Purview / Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Monitoring security compliance metrics after configuring and activating enterprise DLP policies.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Secure Score does not increase, despite the DLP policies being active across Microsoft 365 services.

Before you start

Keep in mind that Microsoft Secure Score does not update in real-time. It can take up to 24 to 48 hours for backend telemetry to process and reflect newly applied security policies.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Policy Scope and Wait for Backend Processing

Ensure enough time has passed for Microsoft's backend to evaluate your new DLP policies, and confirm the policies meet the specific improvement action requirements.

Microsoft Secure Score relies on backend jobs to assess your tenant's configuration against recommended security baselines. This evaluation is not instantaneous.

Wait for telemetry updates

Allow 24 to 48 hours to pass after successfully enabling your DLP policies in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

Check improvement actions

Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Defender portal, go to 'Secure Score', and click on 'Improvement actions'.

Verify prerequisites

Locate the specific DLP improvement action you are targeting and verify that your configured policy exactly matches the required scope and conditions listed.

Verify Policy Scope and Wait for Backend Processing

Testing Policies: DLP policies set strictly to 'Test it out' without showing policy tips or active enforcement may not count towards your Secure Score.

Solution 2

Open a Service Request with Microsoft Support

If the Secure Score remains stagnant after 48 hours despite correct configurations, contact Microsoft Support to investigate backend syncing errors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often does Microsoft Secure Score update?

Microsoft Secure Score typically updates once per day. It relies on backend telemetry and evaluations, meaning it can take between 24 and 48 hours to reflect newly applied policies or changed configurations.

Why is a specific DLP policy not increasing my Secure Score?

Not all DLP policies automatically contribute to the Secure Score. The policy you create must exactly satisfy the specific conditions of an 'improvement action' defined in the Microsoft 365 Defender portal to grant points.

Do simulation or test DLP policies count towards the Secure Score?

Generally, policies must be fully deployed and actively enforcing protection rules to qualify. Policies set to 'Test it out' without active enforcement or policy tips often do not trigger the necessary conditions for improvement actions.

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