As AI transforms education—an industry already the third most at risk of digital attack in the world [1]— protecting student and organizational data is non-negotiable. Microsoft 365 Copilot doesn’t just help students, educators, and faculty save time and boost productivity through enhanced AI capabilities and data integration, it provides the same inherent data protection found in other Microsoft 365 apps and content, like Microsoft SharePoint files or Microsoft Exchange emails.
Now available to students 13 and older, Microsoft 365 Copilot’s secure-by-design safety features—including Copilot Control System, which empowers IT to confidently lead AI transformation through integrated controls and capabilities—make it a comprehensive cybersecurity tool across all levels of the education journey. In this blog, we’ll review the myriad ways Microsoft 365 Copilot offers protection of your data estate on Day 1.
Rely on built-in security with Microsoft 365 Copilot protections
Microsoft 365 Copilot is engineered to be a safe, secure, and compliant AI option for education, with built-in protections that secure data while enabling innovative learning experiences. Educational institutions can rely on these default safeguards to provide a secure environment for students, educators, and faculty alike.
See Microsoft 365 Copilot’s default security protections in action
Enterprise data protection and responsible AI principles
Like other industries, educational institutions face growing threats from cyberattacks, data breaches, and misuse of sensitive information. Addressing these challenges at enterprise scale requires solutions that can protect large, complex environments with diverse users and data types. Microsoft 365 Copilot encrypts all data at rest and in transit, safeguarding data from unauthorized access. The AI follows strict security compliance standards, reducing risks of data breaches, leaks, or misuse of sensitive academic and administrative data.
These protections are also bolstered by Microsoft’s responsible AI principles, emphasizing fairness, reliability, privacy, inclusivity, and accountability. Microsoft 365 Copilot only uses your data as you instruct, never uses it to train foundation models, and respects your identity model and permissions.
AI content safety
Protecting users from inappropriate or harmful content is another essential part of Microsoft 365 Copilot’s default security framework. Built-in safeguards block harmful content, mitigating risks related to adult content, violence, hate speech, and self-harm, helping to maintain a safe, supportive, and fair digital environment for students, educators, and faculty.
Furthermore, Microsoft 365 Copilot implements advanced defenses against prompt injection attacks, ensuring that AI-generated responses remain appropriate and secure regardless of user input. This stops users from manipulating AI-generated responses to produce misleading or harmful content.
Default data protection measures
Microsoft 365 Copilot also enforces default data protection measures that respect existing Microsoft 365 permissions. This means users can only access data they are authorized to view, effectively preventing unauthorized access to protected academic records. Similarly, Microsoft 365 Copilot supports data residency compliance, ensuring that institutional data is stored and processed within designated geographic boundaries, adhering to local and international data protection laws.
Strengthen institutional security with customizable data protections
Beyond its robust default protections, Microsoft 365 Copilot offers advanced data management features that allow education administrators to further strengthen security and compliance.
Watch how Microsoft 365 Copilot takes security and compliance to the next level
Enabling reports for data protection, readiness, and usage
One of these features is the ability to generate comprehensive reports on data protection status, system readiness, and user activity. These reports help administrators monitor Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption, track potential vulnerabilities, and ensure compliance with institutional IT governance policies.
Enabling critical data features
Institutions can also enable critical data features like secure Microsoft Teams meeting recordings and transcription services. Meeting recordings are securely stored and access-controlled, preventing unauthorized sharing of sensitive content, such as lectures or faculty discussions, while enriching responses for Microsoft 365 Copilot users. Transcription services convert speech to text securely, supporting accessibility needs while ensuring data integrity and privacy.
Securing your data estate
Educational institutions face significant challenges protecting sensitive information in their data estate from unauthorized access while maintaining operational efficiency. Microsoft 365 Copilot addresses these concerns with advanced security capabilities that intelligently restrict content visibility, filter search results, and enforce data classification protocols.
Administrators can leverage powerful tools such as:
- Restricted content discovery: Limit the visibility of sensitive data, ensuring that only authorized users can locate specific content
- Restricted search: Filter sensitive information from general search results
- Inactive site cleanup and access controls: Reduce security vulnerabilities from forgotten or unmonitored locations
- Sensitivity labels: Classify and protect data based on its level of sensitivity, automating security protocols accordingly
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Detect and prevent the accidental sharing of confidential information
- Data lifecycle management: Ensure the secure handling of data from creation to deletion
- App protection policies: Secure institutional data even when accessed from unmanaged devices
This comprehensive approach prevents accidental data exposure, manages information throughout its lifecycle, and extends protection across all devices—giving administrators peace of mind while simplifying complex data security and compliance management.
Detecting harmful communication and potential vulnerabilities
Beyond simplifying security management across the data lifecycle and devices, Microsoft 365 Copilot further enhances institutional protection by providing tools to actively detect harmful communication and content. Communication monitoring identifies and flags inappropriate language or harmful messages, ensuring that AI-generated responses meet institutional standards, preventing inappropriate language from affecting educational materials.
Administrators can also enhance site security by integrating SharePoint Advanced Management with Microsoft 365 Copilot. This integration allows institutions to identify and remove inactive SharePoint sites, reducing vulnerabilities from unmonitored locations. Administrators can restrict access to sensitive sites and monitor permission changes or data updates, maintaining institutional compliance and protecting the data of students, educators, and faculty.
Empower AI-driven innovation securely with Microsoft 365 Copilot
For educational institutions looking to implement AI solutions, Microsoft 365 Copilot offers a powerful balance of innovation, safety, security, and compliance. Its comprehensive protection features let educators and faculty focus on what matters most—providing quality education—while having confidence that their digital environment remains protected.
Learn more about preparing your organization for Microsoft 365 Copilot in our curated training path, then take an assessment that will provide optimization recommendations. In addition, you can check out the full Microsoft 365 Copilot technical readiness guide, learn more about Microsoft’s Zero Trust principles, and stay up to date with the latest Microsoft 365 Education product news by joining the Education Insiders Program (EIP).
[1] Microsoft Threat Intelligence. 2024. Cyber Signals Issue 8 | Education under siege: How cybercriminals target our schools.
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