Microsoft has extended its Enterprise Data Protection (EDP) offerings to include Copilot users holding Microsoft Entra accounts. The move seeks to boost data privacy and security without additional expenses for these users.
Enhanced Security Measures
EDP for Microsoft Copilot involves robust measures to secure user data. These measures encompass encryption during storage and transfer, strict physical security practices, and isolating tenant data. Microsoft guarantees users' data confidentiality and stipulates that data usage is strictly as specified by the user. The company meets several privacy regulations, such as GDPR and ISO/IEC 27018, and complies with its Data Protection Addendum.
Copilot functions with current identity frameworks and permissions, utilizing sensitivity labels and applying data retention policies. The service supports auditing and adheres to administrative settings based on the subscription tier. Microsoft Entra has incorporated mechanisms to address AI-related risks, including harmful content and prompt injections. Importantly, data accessed through Microsoft Graph is not used to train AI models.
New Experience for Professional and Educational Users
Alongside the EDP extension, Microsoft is releasing an ad-free variant of Copilot designed for professional and educational settings. Microsoft says the version includes prompt examples relevant to these environments to help users start effectively. The updated Copilot experience will be accessible from mid-September on Microsoft.com/copilot and the Microsoft 365 app, also integrating into Teams and Outlook. Administrators are encouraged to activate in-app access by pinning Microsoft Copilot.
Copilot logs and retains prompts and responses for audit, eDiscovery, and Microsoft Purview purposes. Controls will vary based on the subscription plan, allowing organizations to ensure compliance and keep track of interactions.
To enable in-app access, Microsoft recommends users should pin Copilot under Settings within the Microsoft 365 admin center, needing Global Admin rights. This straightforward process enables administrators to efficiently manage and deploy Copilot across their organization.
