As AI assistants such as Microsoft Copilot become an increasingly important part of companies' digital ecosystems, so does the need for structured and secure data management. To maximise the benefits of Copilot while ensuring that sensitive information is protected, Microsoft Purview plays a crucial role. But what exactly is Microsoft Purview, and why is it so important for a Copilot implementation? We take a closer look in this article.
What is Microsoft Purview?
Microsoft Purview is a platform that helps businesses keep track of their data, protect it, and comply with regulations and laws such as the GDPR. It is a comprehensive solution that offers tools for data governance, security, and compliance.
Key features of Microsoft Purview:
Find and understand data
Microsoft Purview maps and identifies all the data your organisation stores, from cloud services to on-premises servers and databases. You'll know where your data is and what it contains, making it clear what data is sensitive and who has access to it.
Protect sensitive information
Purview can automatically recognise and tag data that contains personal information, credit card numbers, or business-critical documents. By setting up rules for these types of data, you can ensure that sensitive information is not mishandled or accidentally shared.
Regulatory compliance
Purview can also be used to fulfil regulatory requirements and ensure compliance with laws such as GDPR and ISO standards. This is done by monitoring and reporting any non-compliance. Purview can also be used in internal investigations to track who opened important documents.
Why is Microsoft Purview important for a Copilot implementation?
Microsoft Copilot is built on AI that analyses and compiles information from company data. For the AI to work optimally and securely, it requires clear data classification and controlled access to the right information.
One of the biggest benefits of using Purview for a Copilot implementation is that it ensures Copilot has the right information to work with. AI works best when it has access to relevant and accurate data, and Purview helps structure the information by classifying it based on sensitivity and use case. At the same time, Purview reduces the risk of Copilot accidentally showing sensitive information to the wrong people, as it allows you to control exactly what data the AI can use. In addition, Purview improves governance and compliance by allowing companies to set clear guidelines for how Copilot should handle data.
What is the risk of implementing Copilot without first using Purview?
Implementing Copilot without first having a strategy for data classification and protection through Microsoft Purview can lead to several risks. For example, because Copilot uses AI to analyse and compile data, a lack of control over the information could mean that sensitive or confidential data is inadvertently shared with the wrong people.
Another risk is that unstructured and unprotected data could lead to inaccurate or misleading results from Copilot, which could negatively impact business decisions. In addition, organisations may struggle to meet compliance requirements and risk breaching regulations such as GDPR and other data protection laws. By implementing Purview first, organisations can ensure that only properly classified and secure data is used by Copilot, reducing the risk of information leaks and increasing the reliability of AI-generated answers and insights.
Want to know more about how you can work with data classification using Purview and how you can use it to prepare your organisation for Copilot? Together with Microstoft, we are organising breakfast meetings on 6 May in Malmö and 8 May in Stockholm, as well as digitally, on this theme. Read more and sign up below.
