UiQ TV: How to get Microsoft Copilot past Infosec

Yes, when properly configured. Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 is built on Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security infrastructure and respects your existing permissions and access controls. However, the challenge isn’t Copilot’s core security—it’s ensuring your underlying data governance is robust enough. Copilot can only surface information users already have access to, which means if your permissions are overly broad or sensitive data isn’t properly classified, Copilot could inadvertently expose it to unauthorized users. Ultima’s security readiness assessments identify these gaps before deployment, implementing automated data classification, role-based access controls, and continuous monitoring to ensure Copilot operates securely within your environment.

The primary security risks with Copilot deployment include:

1. Unstructured data exposure: Copilot can access and summarize information from emails, SharePoint documents, Teams chats, and OneDrive files. If sensitive data isn’t properly labeled or protected, users might inadvertently access confidential information.

2. Overprivileged access: Many organizations have excessive permissions granted over time. Copilot makes this “permissions sprawl” problem more visible and potentially more damaging.

3. Data leakage through AI prompts: Users might ask Copilot questions that cause it to aggregate sensitive information in new ways, potentially creating new data exposure scenarios.

4. Compliance violations: In regulated industries, Copilot could surface data that violates GDPR, HIPAA, financial regulations, or other compliance requirements if data governance isn’t properly configured.

5. Inadequate audit trails: Without proper logging and monitoring, security teams may struggle to track what information Copilot accesses and shares.

Ultima addresses these risks through comprehensive security assessments, automated data discovery and classification using tools like Varonis, and implementing least-privilege access principles before Copilot goes live.

Microsoft Copilot respects your existing Microsoft 365 information protection and data governance policies. It operates within your organization’s security boundary and doesn’t train on your data or share it with other organizations. Copilot adheres to:

• Sensitivity labels: If documents are labeled as “Confidential” or “Highly Confidential,” Copilot respects these classifications
• Microsoft Purview DLP policies: Data Loss Prevention rules you’ve configured apply to Copilot interactions
• Existing permissions: Copilot can only access content the user already has permissions to view
• Retention policies: Your data retention and deletion policies remain in effect

However, these protections only work if they’re properly configured. Many organizations discover during Copilot readiness assessments that their sensitivity labels are inconsistently applied, DLP policies have gaps, or permissions are too broad. Ultima helps organizations audit their current security posture and implement automated protection measures before enabling Copilot, ensuring sensitive data remains protected.

While Microsoft provides baseline security features with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 licenses, many organizations benefit from additional tools to achieve comprehensive Copilot security:

Essential for most organizations:

• Automated data discovery and classification (tools like Varonis or Microsoft Purview Information Protection)
• Advanced DLP policies beyond Microsoft’s native capabilities
• Privileged Access Management to control Copilot licensing for specific roles

Recommended for high-security environments:

• Data security posture management (DSPM) for continuous monitoring
• User behavior analytics to detect anomalous Copilot usage
• Advanced threat protection for AI-specific security threats

Ultima assesses your specific risk profile and regulatory requirements to recommend the optimal security stack for your Copilot deployment. We also leverage Microsoft funding opportunities to offset costs of security enhancements, making enterprise-grade protection more accessible.

The timeline for securing your environment for Copilot varies based on your current data governance maturity:

Fast-track (4-6 weeks):

• Organizations with existing sensitivity labels, well-managed permissions, and active DLP policies
• Focus on Copilot-specific configurations and user training
• Suitable for smaller organizations or those with mature security practices

Standard deployment (8-12 weeks):

• Organizations needing data discovery, classification automation, and permission remediation
• Includes security assessment, tool implementation, and phased rollout
• Most common timeline for mid-sized organizations

Comprehensive transformation (3-6 months):

• Organizations with significant unstructured data, complex permissions, or regulatory requirements
• Involves full data governance overhaul, extensive remediation, and change management
• Necessary for highly regulated industries or large enterprises with legacy systems

Ultima’s security readiness assessment provides a clear timeline and roadmap specific to your environment, so you’ll know exactly what’s required before committing to a full deployment.

Maintaining regulatory compliance with Copilot requires extending your existing compliance framework to cover AI-assisted workflows:

For GDPR compliance:

• Ensure Copilot respects data subject rights (access, deletion, portability)
• Configure retention policies so Copilot doesn’t surface data that should be deleted
• Document AI processing in your data protection impact assessments (DPIAs)
• Maintain audit logs of Copilot interactions involving personal data

For HIPAA compliance:

• Verify Copilot operates within your Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with Microsoft
• Implement additional access controls for Protected Health Information (PHI)
• Configure audit logging for all Copilot access to patient data
• Train users on PHI handling when using AI tools

For financial services regulations:

• Ensure Copilot interactions are captured in required communication archives
• Implement DLP policies preventing exposure of material non-public information (MNPI)
• Configure information barriers where required
• Maintain records management compliance

Ultima’s compliance specialists assess your specific regulatory requirements and design Copilot security configurations that satisfy auditors while enabling productivity. We also help document your compliance approach for regulatory submissions or audit responses.