How to prepare my business data for microsoft copilot australia

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to prepare my business data for microsoft copilot australia. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 helps Australian small businesses summarise meeting action items, draft client proposals, analyse spreadsheets, and sort project correspondence. However, Copilot can only access data that your users already have permission to see. If your SharePoint sites, OneDrive folders, and Teams files are not properly secured, enabling Copilot may inadvertently surface sensitive information such as executive payroll, private director files, or confidential client records.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Review current SharePoint and OneDrive sharing permissions across your organisation.
2. Restructure folders so sensitive data is isolated from general team content.
3. Run a Microsoft Purview data audit to identify over-exposed files.
4. Apply sensitivity labels to confidential documents before enabling Copilot.
5. Train staff on correct file sharing and permission practices.

Detailed Instructions

1. Audit Existing Permissions

Before activating Copilot, verify who can access your business data. Copilot respects existing Microsoft 365 permissions, so any file a user can open is potentially visible to Copilot.

1. Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin centre at admin.microsoft.com using your administrator account.
2. In the left navigation, select Show all, then choose SharePoint to open the SharePoint admin centre.
3. Select Active sites from the menu to review your SharePoint team sites and communication sites.
4. For each site, select Permissions to check which groups and individuals have access.
5. Remove any external sharing links or guest access that are no longer required.
6. Repeat the process for OneDrive accounts by selecting Active users in the Microsoft 365 admin centre, choosing a user, and reviewing their OneDrive sharing settings.

2. Restructure Folders for Data Security

Organise your SharePoint and OneDrive libraries so that confidential information is stored separately from general collaboration folders. This reduces the risk of Copilot surfacing sensitive documents in response to routine queries.

1. Identify folders containing payroll, human resources, director remuneration, or client contract information.
2. Move these files into dedicated SharePoint sites or OneDrive folders with restricted membership.
3. Manage unique permissions on sensitive folders so they do not inherit access from parent libraries where inappropriate.
4. Assign access only to specific security groups rather than individual users where possible.
5. Use clear, consistent naming conventions such as /HR/Payroll/2024-25/ or /Clients/Confidential/ to make access reviews easier.

3. Run a Data Governance Review with Microsoft Purview

Microsoft Purview helps you locate, classify, and protect sensitive information across Microsoft 365.

1. Navigate to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal at compliance.microsoft.com.
2. Select Data lifecycle management > Microsoft 365 sensitivity labels.
3. Create labels such as Confidential, Internal Only, and Public if they do not already exist.
4. Publish the labels to users so they can apply them to documents in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
5. Use Data classification > Sensitive info types to scan for credit card numbers, tax file numbers, or Australian business numbers stored in documents.
6. Review the Content explorer and Activity explorer to see which files contain sensitive data and who has accessed them.

4. Apply Sensitivity Labels Before Enabling Copilot

Sensitivity labels can enforce encryption and restrict copying or printing. Applying these labels ensures that even if Copilot can see a file, unauthorised users cannot open or extract its contents.

1. In Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook, open the document you want to protect.
2. Select the Sensitivity button from the ribbon or File > Info > Protect Document (or equivalent).
3. Apply the appropriate label, such as Confidential.
4. Repeat for all folders containing payroll, contracts, or client records.
5. Communicate to staff that they must apply sensitivity labels when creating new confidential documents.

5. Prepare Staff and Test Copilot Safely

Technology controls are only effective if your team understands how to use them.

1. Run a short training session covering correct file sharing, sensitivity labels, and the difference between internal and external sharing.
2. Enable Copilot for a small pilot group first, such as management and IT administrators.
3. Ask pilot users to test common tasks like summarising meeting notes, drafting proposals, and analysing spreadsheets.
4. Review audit logs in the Microsoft Purview portal to confirm Copilot is not accessing restricted content.
5. Gradually roll out Copilot to the rest of the organisation once permissions are confirmed secure.

Troubleshooting

Copilot Is Returning Sensitive Files in Search Results

If Copilot surfaces documents that should be restricted, the issue is almost always excessive permissions rather than a Copilot setting.

1. Open the file in SharePoint or OneDrive and select Manage access.
2. Review the list of users and groups with direct access or sharing links.
3. Remove any unnecessary permissions or convert editable links to view-only.
4. Check whether the file inherits permissions from a parent folder and manage unique permissions if required.
5. Reapply a sensitivity label to the file to enforce additional protection.

Staff Cannot Find Files After Restructuring

Moving files to restricted folders can break existing shortcuts and bookmarks.

1. Use the Recycle bin in SharePoint or OneDrive to restore accidentally deleted files.
2. Update internal team documentation and intranet links to point to the new folder locations.
3. Encourage staff to use Search in Microsoft 365 rather than relying on saved file paths.
4. Create shortcuts in frequently used libraries that point to the new secure locations.

Sensitivity Labels Are Not Appearing in Office Apps

If users do not see sensitivity labels in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, the labels may not be published correctly or the apps may need updating.

1. Confirm the label is published to the relevant users or groups in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.
2. Ask users to restart their Office applications and sign out, then sign back in.
3. Ensure Microsoft 365 Apps are updated by selecting File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
4. Verify the user has a licence that supports sensitivity labels, such as Microsoft 365 Business Premium or E3/E5.

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