One of the most important questions before introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot into an organization is not:
"Is Copilot secure?"
The question is:
"What information can employees already access?"
Microsoft itself has published a guide recommending that organizations check for oversharing, permissions and sensitive information before expanding Copilot use.
The problem is not necessarily a breach
Copilot works with information the user is authorized to access.
On the surface, that sounds safe.
But large organizations often have:
- SharePoint sites that are too open
- Old folders
- Documents without owners
- Sensitive files accessible to a broad group
- Information retained for years
- Permissions that no longer reflect an employee's role
Before Copilot, the information may have been technically accessible but hard to find.
AI changes that.
Copilot can make information that is already overshared easier to find
If an employee can access a document, Copilot may be able to find it, summarize it and incorporate it into an answer.
That is precisely why Microsoft recommends checking the permissions layer before a broad rollout.
Copilot does not necessarily create the problematic permission.
It can simply make it easier to use excessively broad access that already exists.
Microsoft's three stages
Microsoft's framework focuses on three areas:
1. Fixing oversharing
Find information whose access settings are too broad.
Identify content that is:
- Sensitive
- Old
- Without an owner
- Open to too large an audience
2. Limits and controls (Guardrails)
Create temporary or permanent limits.
Microsoft mentions tools such as:
- Restricted Content Discovery
- Restricted Access Control
- Sensitivity Labels
- DLP
3. Compliance and oversight
Make sure the organization has:
- Audit
- Retention
- eDiscovery
- Monitoring of Copilot activity
- Appropriate procedures for sensitive information
Restricted Content Discovery
Microsoft allows organizations to temporarily restrict Copilot's ability to discover content on certain sites.
The idea is to give the organization time to fix permissions before the content returns to the Copilot experience.
This is not intended to replace actually fixing the permissions.
Purview DLP
Microsoft Purview can be used to restrict the use of sensitive information.
According to Microsoft's documentation, rules can be configured that affect:
- Files
- Emails
- Prompts
- Sensitive information
- Interactions with Copilot
Audit
An organization needs to know what users are doing with Copilot.
Microsoft documents audit capabilities that can help track:
- Prompts
- Responses
- Web searches
- Activity involving sensitive information
What an organization should do before expanding Copilot
Before a broad rollout:
- Check who can access what.
- Find SharePoint sites that are too open.
- Check shared OneDrive folders.
- Identify information without owners.
- Label sensitive information.
- Configure DLP and retention.
- Make sure auditing is available.
- Test Copilot with real users before a broad rollout.
What about Hebrew?
Microsoft supports Hebrew in Microsoft 365 Copilot.
But sensitive information classification, keywords and DLP rules should also be tested on Hebrew information.
At the time of publication, no public data was found on the accuracy rates of Purview mechanisms in Hebrew documents.
The bottom line
Microsoft 365 Copilot does not turn a properly restricted permission into an open one.
But it can make an existing open permission much more useful.
That is why implementing Copilot is also an information and permissions project, not just the purchase of an AI license.