We all want to work smarter, save money and increase productivity. It makes sense to use tools and software that help a business do that, as well as using IT support services as and when appropriate.
Copilot is Microsoft’s generative AI chatbot that works within Microsoft 365. It can be used in apps relied on every day like Word, Outlook, Teams and Excel. Based on large language model AI, users can ask for what they need using prompts without needing computer code.
What can you use Copilot for?
Essentially, Copilot is designed to help save time by automating processes and reducing manual tasks in Microsoft 365 applications. Some of the simpler tasks include:
- Summarising email trails in Outlook.
- Analysing data in Excel.
- Drafting and formatting Word documents and reports.
- Creating minutes or notes from a Teams meeting.
- Generating PowerPoint slides.
What are the risks of using Copilot?
Despite the usefulness of the tool, it does carry some security risks for business use. The biggest of these is data access. Copilot is not used to train AI models, and it follows Microsoft’s existing security rules and is GDPR compliant.
However, as part of Microsoft 365, Copilot is designed to follow the access permissions of the user. This means whatever the employee has access to, Copilot has access to, for example, customer personal information or intellectual property.
In generating a document or data analysis, Copilot can find and disclose whatever information and data it has access to.
The risks to the business largely depend on how well access is controlled. Examples can include whether sensitivity labels are used on confidential files, if ad-hoc permissions have been used and if folders have been overshared.
Regular audits of file permissions, such as in SharePoint or Teams, are recommended to prevent any data leaks or security issues.
Admins can limit and change incorrect access to Teams folders and SharePoint permissions. They can also restructure permission profiles for inherited or legacy permissions to make sure data access is properly controlled.
Using Copilot safely starts with having good data governance and permissions in place to keep your business data safe.
