Bridging IT and Compliance in the Mortgage Industry with Microsoft Solutions

Compliance is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, an essential component of any IT operation. The stakes, however, are even higher in the mortgage industry, where data security and privacy are strict, along with the need to adhere to laws like the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). 

As difficult as it is to stay mortgage compliant when all your systems are in-house, things get harder now that most teams are working remotely or across multiple systems. That good news, however, is that you already have the tools to fix it. Microsoft’s ecosystem is built to support compliance from the ground up. 

This blog will guide you through the necessary steps to set up your Microsoft environment and align with the mortgage industry's compliance requirements. Read on!

The Compliance Challenge In Mortgage IT

Mortgage compliance is strict, as it is by design, to protect customers. And regulations like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) TRID rule are in place to do just that. 

Compliance is a challenge in this industry because data is now spread across multiple devices, with some stored on the cloud and others on various platforms. To add to this, access policies and the encryption levels also vary across all of the above devices, platforms, or environments. 

Now, add in a remote workforce to the mix, and the challenge to enforce compliance gets even harder. Not everyone will be working from secure devices, nor can you control if critical files are shared via unapproved channels. 

The bottom line is this: if your IT and compliance functions are not in order, you run the risk of compliance violations. And the consequences are real: regulatory fines, reputational damage, and even, in the event of a major violation,  the loss of key investors or partners.

Microsoft—The One Platform That Can Connect It All

Now, if your systems are already running Microsoft, good news. It has all the tools needed to enforce mortgage compliance. Here are some of them.

• Microsoft's 365 Compliance Center: It will help you set unified policies for data retention, encryption, and user access. 
• Azure Active Directory (Azure AD): Will help you manage sign-ins and access controls across cloud and on-premise apps
• Defender for Endpoint: It is a tool that helps track devices and detect risks in real time. 

The best part of the Microsoft ecosystem is that all of these tools are baked in with support for regulations like HIPAA, GLBA, and SOC 2—a bonus for your mortgage compliance. 

How Mortgage Workspace Leverages Microsoft To Maximize Mortgage Compliance

Mortgage Workspace specializes in using Microsoft's built-in tools to improve mortgage compliance, especially in remote working environments. Here is how. 

Guardian MxDR

This solution pairs Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, and Secure Score to scan your entire IT environment daily. It flags issues like missing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), unmanaged devices, and security gaps. 

With the MxDR added on, your security analysts monitor your systems 24/7, trace threats in real time (via Microsoft APIs), and help respond to alerts before they escalate.

DocumentGuardian

Mortgage Workspaces' DocumentGuardian solution automatically encrypts all documents (using Microsoft 365 Guardian) end-to-end with AES 256 encryption.

In addition to this, it also applies retention policies per industry standards, and it can do this for files up to 500 mb. It also includes a smart email signature feature to embed secure upload links and enforce disclosure standards at the signature level automatically. 

Guardian Virtual Desktops

Hosted on Microsoft Azure, these desktops give your team secure access to Encompass and other loan systems from anywhere.

Any data, mortgage-specific or otherwise, always stays protected behind strict access controls, even if someone logs in from a personal device. For added security, the private server hosting they provide also keeps sensitive information within a controlled, compliant environment, even for teams that are working remotely. 

Mortgage Industry's Process of Integrating Microsoft & Mortgage Compliance

Mortgage Workspace follows a clear process to help mortgage companies stay secure and compliant even in remote and hybrid environments.

Here’s how to do it:

Start with a Cybersecurity Assessment

The process begins with a full evaluation of your Microsoft 365 environment. This includes:

• Benchmarking your Microsoft Secure Score
• Identifying missing or misconfigured policies
• Identify and highlight compliance gaps (based on user behavior, endpoint security, and data controls)

Deploy/Activate Microsoft Security Controls

Once there is a clear understanding of the task at hand, the next step is to take care of the basics:

• Enable Microsoft 365 Defender to protect against threats like malware, ransomware, and unauthorized access. 
• Configure Azure AD (now Microsoft Entra ID) to enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) across all users
• Activated Microsoft Purview’s DLP to curb sensitive borrower information from leaking via email or unauthorized file sharing

Layer in Managed Services

With the default security options from Microsoft configured and activated, the team then layers in Mortgage Workspace's solutions one by one as follows:

• Guardian MxDR for continuous monitoring and real-time alert response. 
• Virtual desktops for secure access to Encompass and LOS tools from anywhere.
• DocumentGuardian to automatically encrypt, store, and track borrower documents in line with retention policies.

Set up Real-Time Dashboards and Reporting

Once all the mechanisms to enforce Mortgage compliance are in place, our team then sets up a custom dashboard to monitor and track all essential information. This can include, but is not limited to, Secure Score progress, detecting anomalies, or documenting system activity.

Train Your Team to Avoid User-Level Risks

The final piece of the puzzle to tie in the Microsoft and mortgage compliance exercise is our Guardian Attack Simulation & Training. This training focuses on educating your staff on phishing, credential theft, and other common threats that mortgage companies face. 

What Does This Mean for Providers, Partners, and Resellers?

If you're a TSP, MSP, security firm, or reseller, the intersection of Microsoft and mortgage technology presents a major opportunity. Mortgage Workspace’s Microsoft-powered approach opens the door to scalable, compliant, and remote-ready solutions for your clients.

• Instead of offering fragmented services or point solutions, you can deliver a fully integrated stack that is secure, mortgage-compliant, and supports remote access.
• Guardian solutions are built on native Microsoft infrastructure, which will make deployment faster
• You can add value to your services with our compliance expertise. 

To Wrap Up

Compliance in the mortgage industry is going to tighten as time goes on. That said, you can make it simpler if you are already running Microsoft's ecosystem.

All that needs to be done is to configure it with mortgage-specific risks and workflows in mind. For providers, partners, and resellers, the convergence of Microsoft and mortgage compliance presents a major growth opportunity.

At Mortgage Workspace, we specialize in aligning Microsoft’s security and compliance capabilities with the operational realities of modern mortgage teams, whether remote, hybrid, or fully in office.

Talk to an expert today!