In today’s digital age, data security has become one of the most critical issues for businesses worldwide. With an increasing number of companies adopting artificial intelligence solutions like Microsoft Copilot to enhance productivity and efficiency, it’s vital for these businesses and organizations to understand how data security is ensured. This is understandable, as companies work daily with classified data, the disclosure of which to unauthorized individuals is unacceptable.
How does Copilot access data?
Microsoft Copilot is fundamentally based on a Large Language Model that is connected to a company’s or organization’s data. This allows it to retrieve information that is specifically defined within the company’s or organization’s context. The artificial intelligence model processes information available in documents, emails, calendars, chats, meetings, and contacts, offering tailored answers to employee questions. This is where the first concerns about security arise, as not all information is intended for all employees.
The Microsoft Copilot tool requests information on a per-user basis, meaning it only accesses and interacts with content that the user has permission to access (at least at a reading level). This implies that Copilot respects the access rights set within the Microsoft 365 environment and does not offer content that an employee should not see. Consequently, this ensures that only authorized users can access specific information.
Company Information Protection
It’s important to know that Copilot does not use company information to train its general artificial intelligence models. This means that the company information accessed by Copilot is used solely for internal needs and operations and is not shared outside the company. Microsoft has set restrictions for its AI tool, thereby helping to ensure that company data remains confidential and secure.
All classified information within the European Union is protected by the European Data Regulation, which is also adhered to by Copilot models. Additionally, the data used by Microsoft’s artificial intelligence model, Copilot, is protected by a defined European Union Data Boundary, which stipulates that data is primarily stored and processed within the borders of the European Union. This ensures that company data leaks are virtually impossible if data security requirements are followed. Copilot complies with all necessary legal standards to ensure the security and privacy of company or organization data. This AI tool provides several protection measures, including the blocking of harmful content, the detection of protected material, and the blocking of attacks. Furthermore, Microsoft conducts regular audits and testing to ensure that Copilot meets all security standards.
Of course, in addition to all the security policies provided by Microsoft, it’s also important for individuals to follow data security principles in their daily work. While the Microsoft Copilot tool ensures data confidentiality, it’s important to verify, for example, whether the appropriate access permissions are assigned to information and whether employees adhere to cybersecurity best practice guidelines, and so on.
We offer a training course where you can learn how to use Microsoft Copilot for your daily work needs, integrating it with the most popular Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
Sources used in the article:
1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/eudb/eu-data-boundary-learn
2. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-copilot-privacy#how-does-microsoft-365-copilot-use-your-proprietary-organizational-data
3. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-copilot-ai-security