SharePoint and Copilot: How to protect your data from unauthorised access

AI assistants such as Copilot are revolutionising the world of work. However, the use of these powerful tools also harbours risks. While Copilot increases productivity and opens up new possibilities, there are also dangers such as unintentional data leaks.

It can happen that confidential customer information, business secrets or personal data of your employees suddenly becomes accessible to unauthorised persons - for example through an accidental release.

Find out here how you can prevent your sensitive company data from falling into the wrong hands and damaging your company's reputation

Master the flood of data with Microsoft Copilot

The strength of Microsoft Copilot lies in its ability to search through huge amounts of data at lightning speed and find exactly the information you need.

This saves you time and effort, as you no longer have to spend hours searching through documents for specific passages. However, this comprehensive search function also has a downside: Copilot's ability to dig deep into your data landscape means that it can also access information that is actually confidential and should not be visible to you.

This means that even with carefully configured authorisations, sensitive data can be exposed through human error. An inadvertently shared link, a downloaded document or misuse of sharing functions can lead to sensitive data being exposed.

SharePoint - the basis for your data

SharePoint is the central platform for storing and managing company data. However, configuring authorisations alone is not enough to protect your data comprehensively. While authorisations should theoretically determine who can access which data, in practice they do not offer sufficient protection. This is because even if access rights are configured correctly, authorised users can misuse these rights. Documents can be copied, forwarded or made publicly accessible without violating the authorisation structure.

Why authorisations alone are not enough:

• Dynamic data environments: Data is constantly being created, changed and moved. A static authorisation structure can quickly become overwhelmed.
• Human error: Unintentional authorisations, accidental deletion or sharing documents with the wrong people are common sources of error.
• Targeted attacks: Cyber attacks often target weak points in authorisation management.

Sensitivity labels: the key to comprehensive protection

Sensitivity labels are an indispensable part of a comprehensive data protection strategy. They enable companies to proactively protect their confidential information and minimise the risk of data leaks. By intelligently analysing content, labels can be assigned automatically, regardless of where the document is stored. This means that sensitive data is protected even if it is accidentally moved to an insecure folder or shared with the wrong people. Linking labels to specific protection measures, such as encryption and access restrictions, ensures that confidential information is consistently protected, even if it is located in different systems or cloud environments. This not only ensures compliance, but also strengthens the trust of customers and business partners.

Risks associated with the exclusive use of authorisations:

• Inadequate classification: without sensitivity labels, it is difficult to accurately determine the protection requirements of individual documents or files.
• High risk in the event of changes: Any change to the data structure or authorisations carries the risk of sensitive data being released unintentionally.
• Limited protective measures: Authorisations are primarily limited to access to data. They offer no protection against data loss or misuse within the permitted access rights.

Solutions for comprehensive data protection:

• Sensitivity Labels: Implement a comprehensive system of sensitivity labels to automatically classify and protect your data.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Use DLP solutions to prevent the loss of sensitive data and detect suspicious activity.
• Regular security checks: Conduct regular security audits to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
• Employee training: Sensitise your employees to the correct handling of confidential data and the importance of data protection.
• Microsoft Purview: Use the comprehensive functions of Microsoft Purview to classify, protect and manage your data.

Conclusion

Copilot is a valuable tool for increasing productivity. However, to minimise the risks, it is essential to establish a solid SharePoint foundation and implement appropriate security measures. Through a combination of technical measures and training, you can ensure that your data is secure even in the age of AI assistants.