How to protect your data in the age of “Artificial Intelligence.”
SharePoint is a popular platform for collaboration, document management, and business intelligence. It offers many features and functionalities that can enhance productivity, efficiency, and innovation. However, SharePoint also faces some challenges and risks in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
At Covenant Technology Partners, we have access to tools and expertise necessary to do an initial assessment and security hardening of your SharePoint environment as you implement AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot.
While this is a crucial step in bringing AI into your workplace, security and governance are an ongoing activity as new information and new users are added. Covenant can also provide services to ensure ongoing best practices and peace of mind in the use of company intellectual property and private information.
Artificial Intelligence
AI refers to the use of machines and algorithms to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, recognizing images, and making decisions. AI can bring many benefits to SharePoint users, such as automating workflows, generating insights, finding data, and improving user experience. However, AI can also expose some weaknesses and vulnerabilities in SharePoint security and governance, such as data breaches, privacy violations, and compliance issues.
In this document, we will discuss some of the main challenges and best practices for SharePoint security and governance in the context of AI. We will also provide some recommendations and resources for SharePoint administrators and users to protect their data and comply with regulations when using AI tools.
SharePoint Security and Governance AI Challenges
SharePoint security and governance are two interrelated aspects that aim to ensure the proper use and management of SharePoint resources.
- Security refers to the protection of data and systems from unauthorized access, modification, or destruction.
- Governance refers to the policies and procedures that define the roles, responsibilities, and rules for SharePoint users and administrators. Both security and governance are essential for maintaining the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of SharePoint data and services.
SharePoint security and governance can face some challenges and threats in the context of AI, such as:
- Data breaches: AI can increase the risk of data breaches, as it can enable hackers and malicious actors to access, steal, or manipulate sensitive data stored in SharePoint. For example, hackers can use AI to bypass authentication and authorization mechanisms, exploit vulnerabilities in SharePoint code or configuration, or launch sophisticated phishing or ransomware attacks. Data breaches can result in financial losses, reputational damage, and legal liabilities for SharePoint users and organizations.
- Privacy violations: AI can also compromise the privacy of SharePoint users and customers, as it can collect, process, or share personal or confidential data without proper consent or notification. For example, AI can use natural language processing (NLP) or computer vision to analyze the content and metadata of SharePoint documents, emails, or images, and extract or infer personal or sensitive information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, or health records. Privacy violations can violate the rights and expectations of SharePoint users and customers, and expose them to identity theft, discrimination, or harassment.
- Compliance issues: AI can also create compliance issues for SharePoint users and organizations, as it can conflict with the laws and regulations that govern the collection, use, and disclosure of data. For example, AI can violate the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which require data controllers and processors to obtain explicit consent, provide transparency, and ensure data minimization and security when handling personal data. Compliance issues can lead to fines, sanctions, or lawsuits for SharePoint users and organizations.
Best Practices for SharePoint Security and Governance
To address the challenges and risks posed by AI, SharePoint users and administrators need to adopt some best practices for SharePoint security and governance, such as:
- Data classification: Data classification is the process of categorizing data according to its sensitivity, value, and regulatory requirements. Data classification can help SharePoint users and administrators to identify and protect the data that is most vulnerable or critical to their business or operations. Data classification can also help to apply the appropriate security and governance controls, such as encryption, access control, auditing, or retention, to different types of data. Data classification can be done manually or automatically, using AI tools or third-party solutions.
- Data protection: Data protection is the process of safeguarding data from unauthorized or accidental access, modification, or destruction. Data protection can help SharePoint users and administrators to prevent or mitigate data breaches, privacy violations, and compliance issues. Data protection can be achieved by using various security and governance mechanisms, such as passwords, multifactor authentication, firewalls, antivirus, backup, recovery, or data loss prevention (DLP). Data protection can also be enhanced by using AI tools or third-party solutions that can detect and respond to anomalies, threats, or incidents.
- Data governance: Data governance is the process of establishing and enforcing the policies and procedures that define the roles, responsibilities, and rules for SharePoint users and administrators. Data governance can help SharePoint users and administrators to ensure the proper use and management of SharePoint resources, and to align them with the business objectives and legal obligations. Data governance can be implemented by using various tools and features, such as SharePoint groups, permissions, workflows, alerts, or reports. Data governance can also be supported by using AI tools or third-party solutions that can monitor and audit SharePoint activities and provide insights and recommendations.
SharePoint Security and Governance Recommendations
To conclude, SharePoint security and governance are important aspects that need to be considered and addressed when using AI tools. SharePoint users and administrators need to be aware of the challenges and risks that AI can pose to their data and systems and adopt the best practices and solutions that can help them to protect and comply with their data. Here are some recommendations and resources that can help SharePoint users and administrators to improve their SharePoint security and governance in the context of AI:
- Review and update your SharePoint security and governance policies and procedures regularly and communicate them clearly and effectively to your SharePoint users and stakeholders.
- Conduct a data inventory and assessment, and classify your data according to its sensitivity, value, and regulatory requirements.
- Apply the appropriate security and governance controls to your data, such as encryption, access control, auditing, or retention, and monitor and audit their effectiveness and compliance.
- Use AI tools or third-party solutions and services that can help you to automate, enhance, or supplement your SharePoint security and governance processes, such as data classification, data protection, or data governance.
- Train and educate your SharePoint users and administrators on the benefits and risks of AI, and the best practices and solutions for SharePoint security and governance in the context of AI.
- Stay informed and updated on the latest trends and developments in AI, SharePoint, and data security and governance, and seek guidance and support from experts and peers when needed.
If you want to leverage the power of AI in your SharePoint environment, while ensuring the security and governance of your data and systems, you need a trusted and experienced partner who can guide you through the process. We are a leading provider of SharePoint solutions and services, with expertise in AI, data security, and data governance. We can help you to design and implement a SharePoint security and governance strategy that meets your business needs and legal requirements, and that leverages the best practices and solutions for AI. Whether you need to classify your data, protect your data, or govern your data, we have the tools and skills to help you achieve your goals.
Ready to take your SharePoint security and governance to the next level with AI? Contact us today and schedule a free consultation.
Visit our website at www.covenanttechnologypartners.com to learn more about our services and solutions. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to make the most of your SharePoint investment.