Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the workplace, with tools such as ChatGPT becoming increasingly essential for everything from drafting emails to brainstorming ideas. While these tools can improve efficiency, they can also introduce serious data security concerns. What happens to your company's sensitive information when an employee enters it into a public AI tool?
For many business owners, the possible exposure of confidential data is a major concern. The good news is that you don't have to sacrifice security for innovation. With the right strategy and Microsoft's advanced security tools, your team can harness the power of AI safely and efficiently.
The new security risk: Shadow AI in business
You may already be familiar with the term “shadow IT,” which refers to employees using unauthorized IT tools to bypass outdated or slow company systems. Today, businesses are facing a similar challenge in shadow AI.
As your team looks for ways to increase efficiency, they may turn to public AI tools for quick solutions. While these tools can be helpful, they can also pose risks if an employee unintentionally shares sensitive data, such as:
- Client lists
- Financial projections
- Internal strategy documents
- Proprietary product information
Once this data is shared with a public AI model, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to regain control of it. While you can't stop the AI wave, you can — and should — guide how it’s used within your organization to protect sensitive information, reduce risk, and ensure compliance with data security policies.
Your first line of defense: Set clear AI guidelines
Blocking all AI tools can stifle productivity and innovation. A better approach is to implement clear, simple policies that set boundaries. You don’t need a lengthy legal document, just straightforward dos and don'ts that give employees the confidence to use AI without opening the door to unnecessary risk.
For instance, a basic yet essential rule might be: Never input confidential company or client information into public AI platforms. This reinforces security while also setting clear expectations, helping you foster a responsible and informed team culture.
Protect your company data with Microsoft security tools
Managing AI securely requires both visibility and control, so consider using the following tools:
Microsoft Defender for Cloud
It’s important to know which AI tools are being used and how they interact with your company’s data. Microsoft Defender for Cloud offers robust monitoring capabilities that can track AI applications within your environment. You can use it to create policies that send alerts whenever someone accesses new AI tools, helping you make sure these tools are used safely and appropriately.
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
To further safeguard sensitive data, leverage Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP). DLP enforces policies that automatically block or flag attempts to access or share specific types of sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or intellectual property.
Microsoft Purview Information Protection
Lastly, use Microsoft Purview Information Protection to classify data with sensitivity labels based on its level of confidentiality. These labels guide AI tools to access only permissible data while keeping high-risk or confidential information protected.
Common sensitivity labels include:
- Public: Safe for external sharing
- Internal: Limited to employees only
- Confidential: Restricted to specific groups or roles
- Highly confidential: Accessible on a strict need-to-know basis
A smarter, safer assistant: Microsoft 365 Copilot
While protecting against public AI tools is crucial, providing a secure alternative is just as important — and that’s where Microsoft 365 Copilot comes in.
Copilot is an AI assistant built directly into the Microsoft 365 apps your team uses every day such as Teams, Outlook, and Word. Unlike third-party AI tools, Copilot works securely within your organization’s Microsoft 365 environment. It uses your company's data to help your team work smarter, without exposing that data to the public internet.
With Copilot, your team can:
- Instantly summarize long email threads in Outlook.
- Easily create PowerPoint presentations from Word documents.
- Ask questions about project files and receive summarized answers, complete with sources.
Because Copilot is integrated with your existing security labels and permissions, it respects your data’s privacy. It won’t display confidential information to anyone without proper access rights.
An important note is Microsoft has several services with the Copilot name. Copilot Chat, included in your Microsoft 365 subscription, allows your team to interact securely with AI (currently based on ChatGPT’s 4o model) using publically available available web information. The paid Microsoft 365 Copilot service unlocks powerful AI features in your Office apps, and allows you to interact with information stored in your Microsoft 365 account (such as email, calendar, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, etc.).
Your path to secure AI integration
Navigating the evolving world of AI technology and data security can be complex. That’s where a managed IT services provider like Fidelis can help. We can assist you in configuring your Microsoft 365 security settings, implementing effective AI usage policies and tools such as Copilot so you can leverage AI’s full potential while keeping your data secure. Get in touch with us today to start securely incorporating AI into your business operations.
