Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Cloud and workloadsCloud discovery data anonymization
In brief
The page date and authoring metadata were updated. Wording now identifies Defender for Cloud Apps as generating reports from anonymized data and states that each username resolution action is recorded in the portal’s Audit log.
What Defender admins need to know
Administrators can more clearly understand the reporting process and verify that every username resolution action is audited.
Summaries are generated from the documentation change itself.
Documentation change
View on Microsoft LearnThe comparison below shows only the changed extract. Use the full-page view for complete context.
title: Cloud discovery data anonymization
description: This article provides information about how to protect user privacy by anonymizing the usernames in your cloud discovery data.
ms.date: 06/16/07/03/2026
ms.topic: how-to
ms.reviewer: Mravela
ms.custom:
- msecd-doc-authoring-
10141016 - sfi-ga-blocked
- sfi-image-nochange ai-usage: ai-assisted
When anonymization is selected, Defender for Cloud Apps parses the traffic log and extracts specific data attributes.
Defender for Cloud Apps replaces the username with an encrypted username.
ItDefender for Cloud Apps then analyzes cloud usage data and generates cloud discovery reports based on the anonymized data.
TheEach username resolution action is audited in the portal's Audit log.
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@ --- title: Cloud discovery data anonymization description: This article provides information about how to protect user privacy by anonymizing the usernames in your cloud discovery data.-ms.date: 06/16/2026+ms.date: 07/03/2026 ms.topic: how-to ms.reviewer: Mravela ms.custom:- - msecd-doc-authoring-1014+ - msecd-doc-authoring-1016 - sfi-ga-blocked - sfi-image-nochange ai-usage: ai-assisted@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ To resolve (deanonymize) usernames in Cloud Discovery data: 1. When anonymization is selected, Defender for Cloud Apps parses the traffic log and extracts specific data attributes. 1. Defender for Cloud Apps replaces the username with an encrypted username.-1. It then analyzes cloud usage data and generates cloud discovery reports based on the anonymized data.+1. Defender for Cloud Apps then analyzes cloud usage data and generates cloud discovery reports based on the anonymized data.  @@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ To resolve (deanonymize) usernames in Cloud Discovery data:  -1. The action is audited in the portal's **Audit log**.+1. Each username resolution action is audited in the portal's **Audit log**. > [!NOTE] > Starting October, 2025 - **Resolve Anonymization** actions are no longer part of **Governance logs**. Instead, they will be audited in the **Activity log** only.