Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Auto-update document sections from new sources

🚨 The Signal: Copilot can now auto-update document sections from other files, pulling in content without manual copy-pasting. This increases the risk of sensitive data exposure if source documents are not properly secured.

The Impact

All users are affected, increasing the risk of unintended sensitive data exposure and unauthorized information flow.

  • End users: Risk of inadvertently linking sensitive data into less secure documents.
  • Security teams: Increased challenge in tracking and controlling sensitive information flow.
  • Compliance officers: New considerations for data residency and classification across linked documents.
  • Data owners: Potential for unauthorized data dissemination through linked content.

The Action

  1. Review and update Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies to detect and prevent sensitive information linking.
  2. Implement or reinforce Microsoft Purview Information Protection (MIP) sensitivity labels on all documents, especially those used as Copilot sources.
  3. Educate users on the risks of linking sensitive content and the importance of source document security.
  4. Monitor Copilot usage logs for unusual activity related to document linking and content integration.
  5. Review Microsoft 365 tenant-wide sharing settings to ensure appropriate access controls are enforced on all files.

Domain: Agentic-AI · Impact: high · Workload: M365 Apps