Preparing for Microsoft 365 Copilot? Minimize oversharing risks with a two-track Copilot data protection strategy using Microsoft Purview and governance best practices.
“Will Copilot Expose Confidential Information?”
One of the most common concerns we hear from organizations implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot is: “Will Copilot expose confidential information to people who shouldn’t see it?”
While Copilot respects existing permissions and won’t surface data users don’t technically have access to, strong Copilot data protection is still essential. Why? Because many users already have more access than they should.
Common causes of oversharing include:
- Outdated access control lists
- Inaccurate group or Team memberships
- Sensitive files stored in broadly accessible locations
- Stale sharing links
- Shared mailboxes
These oversights lead to unintentional data over-permissioning, a serious concern once Copilot starts surfacing content across Microsoft 365.
The Ideal vs. The Real: Balancing Governance with Deployment Speed
Ideally, organizations should conduct a full review and remediation of overshared content, followed by:
- Sensitivity labels
- Retention controls
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies
These are managed through Microsoft Purview, enabling item-level classification and minimizing the risk of Copilot overexposing sensitive data.
But in reality, if you haven’t already deployed Purview, a full rollout can take time, while licensing costs are already driving pressure to get Copilot up and running quickly.
A Two-Track Strategy for Safer Copilot Deployment
To manage short-term risk while building long-term protection, we recommend a two-track approach:
Track 1: One-Time Cleanup
Perform a data overexposure analysis and remediation to reduce immediate Copilot risk.
Track 2: Long-Term Protection
Deploy and expand Microsoft Purview to enforce ongoing governance and safeguard future content.
This dual strategy allows you to launch Copilot confidently, reducing oversharing today and building toward sustainable information protection.
Track 1: Remediating Existing Oversharing
Cleaning up overshared data is only a point-in-time fix. Without ongoing controls, new risks will resurface. That’s why this track should be followed by a structured Purview deployment.
Note: Some reporting features require SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM). Copilot for Microsoft 365 includes many SAM features, but each user who benefits from them must be licensed.
Key Remediation Actions
1. Configure and Run Oversharing Reports
- Use SharePoint Data Access Governance reports to flag and fix risky sharing.
- Run Microsoft Purview Content Search to locate sensitive files and flag high-risk SharePoint sites.
- Enable the Data Risk Assessment report in Purview’s DSPM for AI module.
2. Use PowerShell Scripts to Audit Access
- Report on all Teams/Channels and access lists; prompt Team owners to review.
- Audit mailbox permissions; ask mailbox owners to remove unnecessary access.
3. Empower End Users
- Ask users to run OneDrive for Business sharing reports and remove open sharing on sensitive content.
Once your reports are in, engage data owners and business units for remediation. Actions may include:
- Deleting old links
- Moving data to secured sites
- Adjusting access groups or business workflows
Allow sufficient time—these cleanups are often cross-functional and iterative.
Additional Controls to Further Limit Exposure
Still concerned after initial remediation? Add these restrictive controls:
Enable Site Owner Sharing Approval
Adds an extra layer of protection for sensitive site content.
Restricted SharePoint Search
Limit Copilot’s indexing to a list of up to 100 specified SharePoint sites. (This disables SharePoint search on all other sites.)
Set Sharing Link Defaults
Require users to specify recipients rather than allowing links to “Anyone” or “People in your org.”
What’s Next: Track 2 – Deploying Long-Term Data Protection
Once you’ve reduced current oversharing risks, you’ll be in a much better position to scale Copilot use.
However, remember– without sensitivity labels and policies, newly created content remains at risk. This is where Microsoft Purview becomes essential.
In the next post, we’ll walk through how to:
- Deploy Purview Information Protection sensitivity labels
- Create Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies
- Enable automated classification and protection
These actions will help ensure Copilot surfaces only safe-to-share content, both now and in the future.
Ready to Secure Your Data Before Copilot Goes Live?
Don’t wait until Copilot exposes overshared content—get ahead with a proactive security strategy. Whether you’re just starting with Microsoft 365 Copilot or preparing for enterprise-wide adoption, eGroup can help you reduce risk and scale with confidence.
