Microsoft 365 Copilot is a powerful tool that can help users write faster and better by providing suggestions and insights based on the context and content of their documents. Copilot uses artificial intelligence to learn from the data that users have access to, such as files, emails, chats, and web pages, and generates relevant and coherent texts that can improve productivity and creativity.

However, Copilot also poses some challenges and risks for businesses that lack appropriate governance for their data, especially when it comes to sensitive information. Without proper data classification, protection, and monitoring, Copilot can potentially expose confidential or regulated data to unauthorized users or leak it to external parties. This can result in legal, reputational, and financial damage, as well as loss of trust and compliance.

What are sensitivity labels and why are they important?

Sensitivity labels are a feature of Microsoft 365 that allow companies to classify and protect their data based on its level of sensitivity. Sensitivity labels can be applied to documents, emails, and other types of data, either manually by users or automatically by policies. Sensitivity labels can also enforce encryption, access restrictions, watermarks, and other protection actions on the data, regardless of where it is stored or shared.

Sensitivity labels are important for several reasons. First, they help organizations comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS, by ensuring that sensitive data is handled appropriately and securely. Second, they help prevent data loss or leakage, by preventing unauthorized access, copying, or sharing of sensitive data. Third, they help maintain data quality and integrity, by preventing accidental or malicious modification or deletion of sensitive data.

By applying sensitivity labels to their data, companies can benefit from Microsoft 365 Copilot without compromising their data security or privacy. Copilot will respect the sensitivity labels and will not suggest or generate texts that contain sensitive information that the user is not authorized to access or share. Copilot will also not learn from or store sensitive data that is encrypted or protected by sensitivity labels. This way, organizations can leverage Copilot’s capabilities while minimizing the risks of data exposure or misuse.

What are the risks of not having sensitivity labels applied before enabling Copilot?

If companies do not apply sensitivity labels to their data before enabling Copilot, they may face several risks and challenges. Some of these are:

Copilot may ingest and learn from sensitive data that is not protected by sensitivity labels, such as personal information, financial data, health records, trade secrets, or intellectual property. This may result in Copilot suggesting or generating texts that contain sensitive information that the user or the recipient is not authorized to access or share. For example, Copilot may suggest a customer’s name, address, or credit card number in an email, or a company’s confidential strategy or financial report in a document. This may violate data protection regulations, breach confidentiality agreements, or expose competitive advantages.

Copilot may not respect the traditional SharePoint permissions that companies rely on to control access to their data. SharePoint permissions are based on the location of the data and the role of the user, and they do not apply to the content or the context of the data. Copilot, on the other hand, is based on the content and the context of the data. This may result in Copilot suggesting or generating texts that contain information that the user or the recipient is not supposed to see or know. For example, Copilot may suggest a project status, a budget, or a feedback item that is only meant for a specific team or manager, or a sensitive issue or problem that is only known to a few people.

Copilot may enable users to access sensitive information that they do not have access to in SharePoint, through prompt engineering. Prompt engineering is the technique of crafting specific queries or prompts that can elicit specific responses from Copilot. For example, a user may ask Copilot to write a summary of a document, a list of key points, or a question-and-answer session. If Copilot has learned from sensitive data that is not protected by sensitivity labels, it may reveal that information in its responses, even if the user does not have access to the folder in SharePoint. This may allow users to bypass SharePoint permissions and access sensitive information that they are not supposed to see or know.

How can Microsoft Purview and overall data governance help?

Microsoft Purview is a unified data governance service that helps companies discover, catalog, map, and classify their data across Microsoft 365 and other sources. Purview can help organizations apply sensitivity labels and other data protection policies to their data, as well as monitor and audit their data usage and compliance.

Purview can help avoid the risks of not having sensitivity labels applied before enabling Copilot, by providing the following benefits:

Purview can help discover and catalog data across Microsoft 365 and other sources, such as Azure, Power BI, SQL Server, or third-party cloud services. Purview can also help users understand the lineage, relationships, and quality of their data, as well as the business terms and definitions associated with their data. This can help identify and prioritize the data that needs to be classified and protected by sensitivity labels, as well as the data that can be safely used by Copilot.

Purview can help map and classify data based on its level of sensitivity, using predefined or custom sensitivity labels. Purview can also help apply sensitivity labels and other data protection policies to their data, either manually or automatically, using rules, conditions, or machine learning. This can help ensure that data is consistently and accurately labeled and protected, regardless of where it is stored or shared, and that Copilot respects the sensitivity labels and does not expose or misuse sensitive data.

Purview can help monitor and audit data usage and compliance, by providing insights and reports on how their data is accessed, shared, and protected across Microsoft 365 and other sources. Purview can also help detect and respond to data incidents, such as data breaches, leaks, or violations, by providing alerts and notifications, as well as remediation actions and recommendations. This can help maintain visibility and control over data and ensure that Copilot is used in a responsible and compliant manner.

Overall data governance is an essential prerequisite for implementing Microsoft 365 Copilot, as it can help maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of using Copilot. By applying sensitivity labels and other data protection policies to their data, companies can ensure that Copilot respects data security and privacy and does not suggest or generate texts that contain sensitive information that the user or the recipient is not authorized to access or share. By using Microsoft Purview and other data governance tools, organizations can discover, catalog, map, classify, monitor, and audit their data across Microsoft 365 and other sources, and ensure that their data is consistently and accurately labeled and protected.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a powerful tool that can help write faster and better by providing suggestions and insights based on the context and content of company data. However, Copilot also poses some challenges and risks for businesses that lack appropriate governance for their data, especially when it comes to sensitive information. Without proper data classification, protection, and monitoring, Copilot can potentially expose confidential or regulated data to unauthorized users or leak it to external parties.

To avoid these risks, companies need to apply sensitivity labels and other data protection policies to their data before enabling Copilot. Sensitivity labels can help classify and protect data based on its level of sensitivity and ensure that Copilot respects the sensitivity labels and does not suggest or generate texts that contain sensitive information that the user or the recipient is not authorized to access or share. Companies also need to use Microsoft Purview and other data governance tools to discover, catalog, map, classify, monitor, and audit data across Microsoft 365 and other sources, and ensure that data is consistently and accurately labeled and protected.

By following these best practices, organizations can benefit from Microsoft 365 Copilot without compromising data security or privacy. Copilot can help improve productivity and creativity, while data governance can help maintain compliance and trust.

Should your business require assistance with integrating Copilot into your systems, please feel free to contact us.

In the ever-evolving landscape of AI technology, Microsoft Copilot is here to upgrade your business workflow. Copilot seamlessly integrates into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams to assist in all aspects of your workflow. Incorporating data from various Microsoft applications, Copilot turns simple ideas into robust assets, fostering creativity, productivity and efficiency.

A Study on Copilot Impact

A recent study conducted at Microsoft involved 80 individuals from Communications and Marketing teams exploring the everyday benefits of Copilot for Microsoft 365, now tailored for enterprises. The findings pointed to shared pain points, including meeting fatigue, lack of focus, and information overload. Copilot emerged as a transformative solution to address these pain points, significantly increasing productivity, expediting task completion, and providing the creative space necessary for high-quality work.

Pre-Assessment

• 70% of employees suffer from meeting overload.
• 86% of employees experience information overload daily.
• 80% struggle with having enough focus time each day.

The Copilot Impact

• 86% acknowledge it makes them more productive.
• 81% credit the AI for helping them complete tasks faster.
• 89% find it beneficial in jump-starting the creative process.
• 78% believe it significantly improves the quality of their work.
• 70% report that it reduces time spent on tasks they don’t enjoy.
• 76% specifically note its role in reducing mental effort on mundane tasks.
• 71% appreciate it for reducing time spent searching for information.

Copilot Helps Meeting Recall and Organization

Copilot plays a pivotal role in Teams, where it aids in extracting crucial and contextual information from calls. If you were unable to attend a meeting, you can ask the AI assistant to help articulate the takeaways from the session.

What were the main points from the meeting – Was there an overall decision? Were there any disagreements? Were any tasks assigned to me?

This feature proves invaluable in extracting important nuggets of information, ensuring that key points are not lost amid the conversational flow. Within Teams, Copilot also excels at efficiently scheduling meetings and organizing schedules, avoiding double-booking or conflicts. By prioritizing important meetings, summarizing key points, and aiding in recall, Copilot will alleviate the challenges of meeting-centric workdays.

Copilot Boosts Creative Processes

Within Microsoft Word, Copilot becomes an indispensable ally for writers, assisting in drafting all communications, sparking ideas for blogs, building outlines, and helping break any creative rift. The AI can assist in every stage providing refinement and clarity, and can even suggest opposing perspectives, turning a tedious task into a creative and efficient workflow. The work can then seamlessly be transferred across channels into a PowerPoint or Excel Sheet, transforming simple ideas into powerful tables or engaging presentations.

Within Business Chat, Copilot can access information scattered across emails, calendars, and documents. By formulating a holistic understanding, Copilot acts as a valuable source of feedback, offering a fresh perspective, identifying potential blind spots, and refining the clarity of messages. This collaborative environment allows for the refinement of ideas before they mature into final deliverables.  

Prerequisites to Consider

Before embarking on the Copilot journey, it’s crucial to understand the requirements. Copilot is an add-on license with the following license types being required as a prerequisite:

• Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Microsoft 365 E3
• Microsoft 365 E5
• Office 365 E3
• Office 365 E5

Copilot currently requires an annual commitment of $360 per user per year. While recognizing Copilot’s transformative potential, it’s essential to ensure alignment with your unique business requirements.

Conclusion

Embrace Copilot as more than just an AI tool; it’s your strategic ally in navigating modern business complexities. From foundational skills like creating, summarizing, and analyzing to continuous evolution and adaptability, Copilot enables a future marked by efficiency, creativity, and unparalleled service delivery. Businesses interested in learning more about Microsoft 365 Copilot can contact Virtuas to learn more.

1. Reduce the need for multiple tools and platforms

Microsoft Loop integrates with other Microsoft 365 apps, such as Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Power BI. This means that project teams can access and share their Loop documents from any device or location. They can also embed content from other apps into their Loop documents, such as chat messages, emails, files, dashboards, and more. This way, they can have all the information they need in one place and avoid switching between different apps.

2. Enhance the quality and clarity of documents

Microsoft Loop supports rich formatting and editing features that allow project teams to create professional-looking documents that suit their needs and preferences. They can also use smart templates and components that help them structure their documents and add interactive elements, such as polls, quizzes, checklists, and more. Additionally, Microsoft Loop leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to provide suggestions and insights that can improve their documents, such as grammar and spelling checks, data analysis, design tips, and more.

3. Improve the speed and efficiency of collaboration

Microsoft Loop allows project teams to work together on the same document in real time. They can see each other’s changes as they happen and co-author with ease. They can also communicate and coordinate with each other using comments, mentions, reactions, and chat features within the document. Furthermore, Microsoft Loop enables project teams to track the progress and status of their documents using version history, approval workflows, notifications, and more.

Microsoft Loop is a powerful app that can help project teams solve some of the common problems they face when collaborating on complex tasks. By using Microsoft Loop, project teams can reduce the complexity of their workflows, enhance the quality of their outputs, and improve the speed and efficiency of their collaboration.

Learn More About Loop and how it can improve the speed and efficiency of collaboration on the Virtuas youtube channel.

Contact Virtuas for more information on how Loop can reduce the need for multiple tools and platforms, enhance the quality and clarity of documents, and improve the speed and efficiency of collaboration.

Luckily, the Approvals feature in Microsoft Teams makes it as easy and simple. Approvals can be used for a variety of external and internal reasons, such as giving discounts to customers or requesting time off. Start using Approvals and improve your workflow! 

Adding Approvals App to Teams

Before you can start requesting approvals or completing approvals, make sure you add the Approvals feature to your Teams. To do so, simply go to your Teams app, click on the three dots on the side, and search for the Approvals app. Then, click the icon and add it. Now you have Approvals in Teams! 

If you do not see the Approvals app on Teams, contact the admin of the tenant for the company. 

Create an Approval Request 

Now that you have Approvals in Teams, you can request an approval from within a chat or in a Teams channel. Click the Approvals icon at the bottom of where you normally compose your message and fill in all the details before submitting it. You can require multiple people to approve it, and you can add an attachment, making the approval process quicker and more efficient. 

You can also create an approval in Power Automate. Doing it this way creates a workflow approval since you can create a new flow and select a trigger from one of the connectors provided. Keep an eye out for our upcoming article on how you can do that!

Approve or Reject a Request

If someone requests an approval from you, you can respond from the Approvals card, which will show all the details of the request as well as the status of the approval. You will get a notification when somebody requests your approval, but you can also see all the approvals you have sent or received through the Approvals hub no matter the platform the approval was created on.  

Get that Seal of Approval

With the Approvals app, you can increase accountability and efficiency for your company. All the items that need approval will show up in the Approvals hub, giving your organization one central place to keep track of your items. Add Approvals to your Teams app and see the difference it can make! 

Want more tutorials? Check out our YouTube channel or watch our playlist of Microsoft 365 tutorials.

For more tutorials, check out our YouTube channel or our Microsoft 365 playlist.

Want more tips and tutorials on Microsoft 365 applications? Check out at our YouTube playlist or our Insights page.

For more best practices and tutorials, take a look at our YouTube playlist or our Insights page.

Microsoft Lists is a great tool to keep track and share information for your company. It’s easy to use and adapt into your organization, so take a look at our short tutorial on how to use it!

For more tutorials on Microsoft 365 applications, take a look at our insights page, or watch our playlist.

While some third-party solutions for Clio offer additional reports, they don’t let you customize the visualizations to your firm’s specific needs. Instead, we have found that firms employ various workarounds to create custom visualizations for Clio.

Starting today, our Clio and Power BI integration will help firms of all sizes get a better, customized view into their firm’s key metrics.

The Clio and Power BI Challenge

Many firms who use create custom visualizations in Clio export the data as CSVs and manipulate it in Excel or upload it to Power BI. This forces firms to rerun exports and refreshes constantly. The task is tedious, whereas Power BI is a seamless solution for developing interactive and impactful dashboards.

Bridge the Gap Between Clio and Microsoft Power BI 

To address the Power BI and Clio gap, Virtuas developed the Power BI connector for Clio. Our connector allows Power BI and Clio to work together seamlessly.

Data Refresh Automation

The main benefit of the connector is that it connects directly to Clio APIs, cutting down on the inefficiency of CSV exports. You can schedule the data refresh to suit your firm’s needs, whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly. Once you set the connector to refresh automatically, your data will stay up-to-date, without manual intervention.

Accessible Everywhere

You can access Power BI on many platforms. Whether you’re mobile or in front of your computer, you will have access to all of your dashboards and reports. You can also customize and share your visualizations with clients and colleagues.

Improve Your Workflow

Say goodbye to CSV exports! You can store your data securely in Clio and then easily bring your data into Power BI. There is no need for third party apps, and with the data refresh automation, you don’t have to spend time downloading and uploading files anymore. Reach out to Virtuas to carry out the Clio and Power BI integration so you can focus on your core services.

Looking for More?

We want to make the Power BI connector for Clio work for your needs. If you need help getting started or assistance with building your visualizations, contact us. Likewise, we would love to hear your feedback so we can continue to make improvements to the integration.