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Permissive default licenses in Microsoft 365 let Copilot access all employee files, including old or forgotten ones, potentially causing the artificial intelligence to view or share confidential information, thereby heightening the risk of corporate data leaks.
A recent survey has raised serious global concerns about information security and corporate privacy, revealing that the Microsoft Copilot AI application can access up to three million sensitive records per organization. These include confidential documents, private client files, and key strategic plans.
The study, conducted by independent cybersecurity firms in collaboration with international data protection experts, highlights growing apprehension over the use of AI tools in workplace environments, Al Rai newspaper reported.
The study warned heads of major companies, financial institutions, and industrial giants about the risks inherent in artificial intelligence tools that operate under broad, unrestricted access licenses in sensitive work environments.
According to the study, the issue stems from permissive default licenses within Microsoft 365, which allow the AI application to access everything an employee can access, including old or forgotten files.
This means the application could inadvertently view or share confidential and unauthorized information when asked to summarize certain documents, increasing the risk of corporate data leaks.
While the study urges organizations worldwide to review access policies and file permission controls before deploying AI tools on a large scale, this presents a major challenge for companies increasingly reliant on Copilot. Strict and urgent security measures are required to prevent potential cyber disasters.
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