May 8, 2025
Microsoft 365 Copilot introduces AI-powered assistance directly into apps your teams use every day - Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams - helping employees work faster, communicate better, and make decisions with confidence. But Copilot doesn’t just generate content out of thin air, it relies on your organization’s existing data.
If permissions are misaligned or sensitive content isn’t properly secured, Copilot can surface the wrong information to the wrong people. That’s why securing your environment through proper data governance and identity controls is a critical step before implementation.
Why is Data Security Critical for Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Establishing a robust security foundation before activating Copilot is essential for a smooth and secure experience. When your users use prompts with Microsoft 365 Copilot, the information within the prompts, the data they retrieve, and the generated responses remain within the Microsoft 365 service boundary, consistent with your organization’s current privacy, security, and compliance policies. Assessing and improving data security measures are key steps to manage risk as your organization enters the AI era.
By improving data security before implementing Copilot, your organization proactively:
- Safeguards internal and stakeholder data
- Aligns with data privacy and regulatory requirements
- Enables responsible, policy-driven AI usage
- Prevents inappropriate access from internal or external actors
Too often, organizations adopt AI tools before their environments are ready. But without the right controls, Copilot can overshare sensitive data. Data security isn’t optional; it’s the prerequisite for safe and effective AI.
What Are the Risks of Enabling Microsoft 365 Copilot Without Security Readiness?
Deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot without proper data security configurations and classifications puts your entire organization at risk. The consequences of insufficient security controls are serious, such as:
Data Exposure: Sensitive information can be accessed by unauthorized users outside your organization without proper access controls.
Compliance Risks: Weak security exposes regulated data, putting your organization at risk of compliance violations.
Insider Vulnerabilities: Lack of knowledge around Copilot’s best practices for security and maintenance can lead to employees unintentionally compromising your overall security posture.
Although the risks may seem daunting, you don’t have to compromise data security for productivity. By securing the Microsoft 365 environment, mitigate risks in as little as 30 days, paving the way for responsible AI usage.
How Do You Prepare Your Microsoft 365 Tenant for Copilot?
Rushing your Copilot adoption strategy, without properly preparing your environment can lead to a prolonged and riskier AI deployment. To accelerate and ensure secure Copilot adoption and engagement you need to take a staged approach. Long View’s Copilot Security Foundation in 30 engagement guides you through the following stages in just 30 business days:
1. Identify your organizations’ priorities, user personas and AI use cases to create an actionable roadmap.
2. Assess your data security framework to ensure compliance with regulatory and governance standards and identify areas of improvement.
3. Secure your organization’s data with robust access controls and data protection measures.
4. Empower your team with the tools and knowledge to securely adopt and maintain your environment in line with best practices.
Long View’s experts ensure your Microsoft 365 tenant is appropriately configured to effectively discover, classify, label, and protect data before the implementation of Copilot.
Deliver Copilot Security Without Compromise
A secure foundation protects sensitive information and ensures that Copilot delivers value without compromise. With a structured, 30-day approach to hardening your Microsoft 365 environment, we help organizations take the first step toward AI-readiness. Start with security, so your Copilot experience is smart, safe, and successful.
Secure your Copilot from day one with Copilot Security Foundation in 30. Get in touch today to assess your readiness.
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