The Prompt Revealing Copilot's Data Collection Secrets

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful AI tool integrated into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, and Teams. It enhances productivity by accessing work-related data through Microsoft Graph, such as emails, documents, and chats, while maintaining strict privacy and security measures. Here's what you need to know:

• Data Collection: Copilot processes user prompts, responses, and organizational data but does not use this data to train its language models.
• Security Measures: Data is encrypted, access is permission-based, and compliance with regulations like GDPR is ensured.
• Privacy Controls: Users can manage interaction history, permissions, and data retention through centralized settings.
• Business Risks: Proper guidelines and tools are essential to prevent accidental data sharing or exposure.

Key Privacy and Security Highlights:

• Encryption: Protects data at rest and in transit.
• Access Control: Ensures only authorized users can view sensitive information.
• Compliance: Adheres to EU Data Boundary and other global regulations.

By combining robust security features with user control, Copilot helps businesses streamline tasks while safeguarding sensitive information.

Data security in Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365

Data Collection and Processing Methods

Understanding how data is collected and processed helps assess privacy risks and manage data effectively.

Data Types and Sources

Copilot gathers data through Microsoft Graph, which acts as the central access point for organizational information. Here's what it processes:

• Organizational data: Includes files and communications stored in Microsoft 365.
• Interaction data: User prompts and Copilot's responses.
• Contextual data: Details from active meetings, emails, and chats.
• File-specific content: Information from active files and referenced documents.

All interactions are logged as "Copilot activity history" while adhering to strict permission controls.

Security Measures

Microsoft employs multiple layers of security to safeguard data:

Security Layer	Implementation	Purpose
Data Encryption	BitLocker, TLS, IPsec	Protects data both at rest and in transit.
Access Management	Microsoft Entra	Ensures only authorized users can access data.
Content Protection	Azure OpenAI Service	Detects harmful content and prevents prompt injection.
Information Rights	Microsoft Purview	Manages sensitivity labels and rights management.

"Microsoft 365 Copilot is compliant with our existing privacy, security, and compliance commitments to Microsoft 365 commercial customers, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and European Union (EU) Data Boundary." - Microsoft Learn

As of March 1, 2024, Copilot was added as a covered workload under Microsoft's data residency commitments, further reinforcing its security framework. Importantly, prompts and responses are not used to train the language models, ensuring data privacy.

External App Data Handling

When integrating with external applications, Copilot uses Graph connectors and plugins while maintaining secure practices. These include:

• Permission-based access: Users can only view external data they are explicitly authorized to access.
• Admin oversight: Organization administrators control plugin usage and settings.
• Selective activation: Plugins are only enabled when explicitly authorized by users.
• Query protection: Copilot ensures search queries align with user permissions and activity history.

This integration securely connects Microsoft 365 data with external apps while maintaining strict controls. Each plugin must declare its required permissions and data needs, giving administrators the tools to make informed deployment decisions.

These measures lay a strong foundation for the upcoming discussion on privacy protections.

Privacy and Security Safeguards

Privacy Protection Systems

Copilot protects user data through a combination of logical isolation, physical security measures, and multiple layers of encryption.

Here’s how the privacy framework is structured:

Protection Layer	Implementation	Purpose
Data Processing	Azure OpenAI Service	Handles data independently
Content Filtering	Built-in System	Automatically identifies and blocks harmful content
Regional Compliance	EU Data Boundary	Keeps EU traffic within designated zones
Encryption	BitLocker & Per-file	Secures data both at rest and during transit
Network Security	TLS & IPsec	Protects data during transmission

"Beyond adhering to regulations, we prioritize an open dialogue with our customers, partners, and regulatory authorities to better understand and address concerns, thereby fostering an environment of trust and cooperation." - Microsoft Learn

These measures work alongside Copilot’s user controls, which are explained in the next section.

Data Management Options

Users have full control over their Copilot data through the My Account portal, which centralizes interaction history and privacy settings. Key features include:

• Activity History Control: Users can review and delete their entire interaction history.
• Permission Settings: Provides detailed control over data access within Microsoft 365 services.
• Content Search: Administrators can use Microsoft Purview to track and manage stored data.
• Protected Content: Automatically identifies and handles sensitive information appropriately.

Microsoft Purview Information Protection ensures that Copilot respects existing usage rights and encryption settings, preventing sensitive content from being accessed without authorization.

Data Storage Timeline

Copilot adheres to strict data retention policies in line with Microsoft 365’s compliance framework. The system manages:

• Interaction Records: Stores prompts, responses, and related metadata.
• Citation Links: Keeps records of citation links.
• Deletion Requests: Processes requests to remove interaction history across all Microsoft 365 apps.

When users submit deletion requests through the My Account portal, the system processes them immediately, though full propagation may take some time. However, content created with Copilot and saved by users remains unaffected, even if the interaction history is deleted.

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Business Data Security Concerns

Data Exposure Risks

Businesses face serious risks when it comes to data exposure, even when following established handling methods. Studies reveal that 16% of critical business data is at risk of being overshared, with organizations averaging 802,000 vulnerable files. Of these, 83% are exposed internally, while 17% are accessible to external parties.

Here are the main categories of exposure risks:

Risk Category	Impact	Prevalence
Internal Oversharing	Sensitive data accessible to employees without clearance	83% of at-risk files
External Exposure	Confidential data visible to outside parties	17% of at-risk files
Permission Inheritance	New content inherits insufficient security from source files	Over 15% of critical files
Organization-wide Access	Sensitive information shared without restrictions	3% of business data

A notable example happened in May 2023, when Samsung suffered data leaks after engineers used AI tools to fix source code issues. These leaks exposed confidential hardware details and internal meeting notes, prompting Samsung to ban third-party AI tools company-wide.

Risk Prevention Methods

To address these risks, businesses should focus on three core strategies:

• Data Classification and Access Control: Use tools like Microsoft 365 Sensitivity Labels and Purview Information Protection to classify data. Implement network restrictions and SharePoint permission models to limit access.
• Encryption and Security Protocols: Protect data during storage and transmission with end-to-end encryption. For local AI operations, consider tools like Azure Local for enhanced control.
• Employee Guidelines: Create clear protocols for AI usage, define what information can be shared, and restrict sensitive data access for certain teams.

For instance, a financial services company faced issues when an analyst used an AI tool to generate a report containing unreleased earnings data. Due to missing security classifications, the report became accessible to unauthorized individuals.

These steps help establish a strong foundation for managing data sharing securely, as covered in the next section.

Data Sharing Management Guide

This section highlights how to manage data sharing effectively, leveraging Copilot's robust security measures. Learn how to adjust privacy settings and compose secure prompts to minimize data exposure.

Privacy Settings Setup

To protect your data, configure Microsoft Copilot's privacy settings carefully. Key steps include:

Account-Level Privacy Controls

• Set data classification labels.
• Default sharing permissions to "Private."
• Activate audit logging for AI interactions.
• Configure geographic data residency preferences.

Workspace Security Settings

• Use role-based access controls (RBAC).
• Enable end-to-end encryption for sensitive communications.
• Set automatic data retention policies.
• Configure IP allowlisting for secure access.

Once these settings are in place, focus on writing secure prompts to further reduce risks.

Safe Prompt Writing

Secure prompts are essential to avoid unintentionally exposing sensitive information. Here are some best practices:

• Use placeholder values instead of real business data.
• Avoid including personal identifiers.
• Express financial figures as ranges, not exact numbers.
• Use generic project names instead of specific ones.
• Focus on concepts rather than detailed technical information.

These practices, combined with privacy tools, can significantly reduce data exposure.

God of Prompt: Privacy-Focused Prompt Tools

God of Prompt provides tools designed to enhance prompt security while boosting productivity. With a library of over 30,000 AI prompts, users can access pre-vetted templates that prioritize privacy. Key features include:

• Advanced Custom Instructions: Standardized templates reduce sensitive context sharing.
• Secure Prompt Templates: Pre-configured prompts with built-in privacy safeguards.
• Privacy-First Workflows: Automated processes that protect sensitive information.

"I used God Mode Chat GPT prompt library for a few months now and I can honestly say that it has made me more productive. It is so easy to use that it almost feels like a no brainer." – Lyndi Betony, @lynd_bet_pro

The platform supports over 17,060 customers, helping them save an average of 20 hours per week while ensuring robust security practices. Its prompt library includes specialized sections for handling sensitive business data securely.

Available Prompt Bundles

Bundle Type	Price	Security Features
Writing Pack	$37.00	Content protection
ChatGPT Bundle	$97.00	Privacy controls
Complete AI Bundle	$150.00	Enterprise security

These tools integrate seamlessly with your existing security protocols and enjoy a 4.8/5 trust rating based on 743 reviews.

Conclusion

Microsoft Copilot combines strong privacy measures with advanced AI capabilities, ensuring organizations can manage sensitive data securely without sacrificing functionality.

Key Highlights

Here are the three main aspects of Microsoft Copilot's approach to data protection:

Data Access and Control

• Copilot interacts with data solely through Microsoft Graph.
• Organizations maintain complete ownership of their data, with external sharing only allowed when explicitly approved.
• Users can only access data they are authorized to view.

Privacy Protections

• All interactions are encrypted and secured within Microsoft's infrastructure.
• The platform adheres to major privacy regulations.
• Microsoft offers copyright protection for proper use of its services.

Transparency in Data Usage

• Data accessed by Copilot is not used to train language models.
• Microsoft Purview provides detailed tools for monitoring and governing data usage.

"Commercial and public sector customers can rest assured that the privacy commitments they have long relied on for our enterprise cloud products also apply to our enterprise generative AI solutions, including Azure OpenAI Service and our Copilots."

These privacy-focused tools, along with Microsoft's robust security infrastructure, enable organizations to confidently adopt AI solutions.