Sensitive data? Here's how to work securely with Microsoft Copilot.

The use of AI at work is gradually becoming commonplace. ChatGPT is no longer a secret to most of us, and Microsoft 365 Copilot has also been available for a year in Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams. The latter, in particular, offers unprecedented opportunities for saving time and productivity. But how secure is Copilot, really? What does Microsoft's AI assistant do with your data, and how can you avoid potential security risks?

Generating content, analyzing data, supporting programming tasks—Copilot can do it all. Microsoft's AI assistant can simplify many complex tasks and save time.

Yet, organizations often worry about the security risks of generative AI. And not entirely without reason. While Microsoft invests heavily in security, users of AI solutions like Copilot should be aware of the challenges. Let's take a look at some potential risks.

What are the security risks when using Copilot?

1. Sensitive input becomes output

Copilot works based on the data you enter. Sensitive information can be accidentally captured or reproduced in another context. For example, Copilot can look at your chat history to understand your context and make personalized suggestions.

The AI ​​assistant can also create new data based on documents you have access to. But what if sensitive or confidential information (such as customer information, internal reports) is unintentionally processed, stored, or reused? What if that output is shown to unauthorized third parties?

2. Overly permissive security settings

The security of Microsoft Copilot relies heavily on your general Microsoft security settings, because Copilot uses the same access and data permissions as your Entra ID account. If data access is not properly protected, Copilot could unintentionally reveal sensitive information in generated text.

3. Incorrect answers from Copilot

Copilot delivers impressive results, but it's important to remember that the AI ​​assistant can also make mistakes or exhibit hallucinations. This can lead to the generation of incorrect or outdated information, potentially leading to poor business decisions.

Security or ease of use?

How does Microsoft help make using Copilot safer?

First, some reassurance: your data remains your data within Microsoft. For example, Microsoft may use your data to train your Copilot, but it will never use it to train external Large Language Models. That said, Microsoft also places responsibility on the customer. Your organization must handle data responsibly and implement the right security measures. Fortunately, Microsoft offers a wide range of tools to help you do just that. By following this step-by-step approach with the corresponding Microsoft solutions, you can significantly reduce your risks.

1. Label sensitive data

The first step is knowing what kind of data you have. Take a close look at the types of sensitive information you store (health records, credit card details, customer data) and classify them with Microsoft Purview, an integrated data governance solution. Two key components are:

• Microsoft Purview Information Protection lets you label and classify sensitive information in documents, emails, and other data.

• Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) scans data across sources such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange to identify sensitive information that may be stored in documents or emails.

2. Map your digital business environment

Next, identify where sensitive data resides so you know what needs protection. Microsoft provides powerful tools for this as well:

• Microsoft Purview Data Map helps you map data across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments. It gives you an overview of data flows and lets you track, monitor, and protect sensitive information—wherever it lives.

• Microsoft 365 Compliance Center provides a holistic view of your compliance needs and helps you identify and manage sensitive data within your Microsoft 365 environment.

3. Access management and data security

Establish policies to monitor how (sensitive) information is shared inside and outside your organization. Review which users have access to sensitive data and make sure you have a proper change management process in place.

• Microsoft Entra ID is an integrated identity and access solution that secures every identity and protects access to applications and resources—across any cloud or on-premises environment.

• Microsoft Purview enables you to set policies that govern how sensitive data can be shared internally and externally. You can block or encrypt documents containing sensitive information before they leave your organization, or receive alerts when they’re shared outside a secure environment.

• Microsoft Defender for Identity continuously monitors user behavior to detect suspicious activities and unusual access patterns that could signal security risks. It enforces access controls and ensures only authorized users can reach sensitive information.

• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 protects against phishing, malware, and other threats commonly used to exfiltrate sensitive data.

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoints provides advanced endpoint detection and response. It includes threat and vulnerability management, attack surface reduction, and Extended Detection and Response (XDR).

By combining these Microsoft solutions, you can streamline and strengthen the entire process of identifying, protecting, and managing sensitive data. These tools help ensure that your information remains secure, policies are effectively enforced, and unauthorized access to confidential data is prevented.

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What can you do to ensure security with Copilot?

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