Getting Your Data Ready for Copilot – Overcoming Oversharing & Security Risks

Microsoft 365 Copilot is transforming workplace productivity, but many organizations hesitate to switch it on due to data security concerns and oversharing risks. At Venture 1, we've worked with multiple customers facing the same challenge—permissions are too broad, sensitive files are too accessible, and businesses worry about exposing confidential data to the wrong people.

The Biggest Roadblock to Copilot Adoption: Oversharing

Copilot works by pulling data from SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Microsoft Graph, but it doesn’t “think” about security—it simply follows existing permissions.

This means that:

• If permissions are too loose, Copilot may surface sensitive HR, financial, or legal data to users who shouldn’t see it.

• If sharing settings are misconfigured, external users could gain unintended access to critical business files.

• If legacy permissions haven’t been reviewed, old employees or unnecessary groups may still have access to confidential information.

These risks aren’t just hypothetical—we’ve seen them first hand. Many customers come to us after discovering that Copilot was surfacing unexpected, private, or even legally sensitive data due to mismanaged access controls.

How Venture 1 Helps Secure Your Data Before Enabling Copilot

1. Security & Access Review

   • We conduct a deep-dive audit of your SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams permissions.

   • We identify risky over-permissioned sites and flag sensitive data exposure.

   • We provide clear, actionable steps to fix misconfigurations before Copilot is enabled.

2. Fixing Oversharing & Implementing Governance

   • We help deploy Microsoft Purview for data classification & sensitivity labeling.

   • We configure Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to block unauthorized data sharing.

   • We apply Restricted Access Control and implement Just-In-Time (JIT) access for business-critical files.

3. Ongoing Compliance & Optimization

   • We implement SharePoint Advanced Management tools to proactively detect oversharing.

   • We set up automated Site Access Reviews to notify data owners of misconfigured settings.

   • We provide regular security reports to ensure governance policies stay effective as your business evolves.

     
     

The Bottom Line: Secure Copilot Activation with Venture 1

Turning on Copilot without cleaning up permissions first is a major risk—but it’s avoidable. At Venture 1, we’ve helped businesses across multiple sectors secure their data, fix access issues, and confidently switch on Copilot without fear of exposing sensitive information.

Ready to enable Copilot safely? Contact Venture 1 today for a security assessment.