Microsoft Power Platform and Dataverse: Skill up on security by design

During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s important to focus not only on the dangers of data breaches but also on how to build with products like Microsoft Power Platform and Dataverse—products that are designed to help keep your organization’s data protected. Use the resources on Microsoft Learn to explore ways to support security in your organization, whether you’re a traditional solution architect, a business user, or an IT pro. April Dunnam, Power Platform Cloud Advocate, notes that anyone building a low-code solution should have a security-first mindset. She explains, “Your solution will be better designed, and then it's going to be long-standing.” 

Dataverse and Microsoft Power Platform—better together 

Dataverse is a critical and foundational component of Microsoft Power Platform. It's what the platform runs on, and it's secure by design. You can configure many layers of security in Dataverse. As April points out, “You can use the [Microsoft Power Platform] admin center to define different data loss prevention policies to determine which connectors you can and can’t use, all the way down to a really granular level.” She recommends checking out the new managed environments that apply to both Microsoft Power Platform and Dataverse, which make it easier to manage some of the out-of-the box security features. For every solution, you can configure additional security capabilities. For more information, go to the Microsoft Learn module Create and manage environments in Dataverse.  

As part of your cybersecurity strategy, April also recommends setting up a Center of Excellence and using the toolkit, because, as she observes, "[It] augments the capabilities of Microsoft Power Platform and fosters an internal community who can think ahead and put together best practices to enable secure low-code solutions." To learn more, explore the Microsoft Learn module Get started with Microsoft Power Platform Center of Excellence. 

April is all for using Microsoft Power Platform tools “right out of the box” for building security solutions. She observes, “These intuitive, user-friendly tools guide us through making sure that the applications and solutions we build are secure. So, with just a little bit of work and a little bit of reading some of the Microsoft Learn material to get a good understanding, you’re ready to come up to speed on making sure that the solutions that you build are secure.” For details, check out the Microsoft Learn module Introduction to Microsoft Power Platform security and governance. 

Use a collection to discover more security content 

April encourages the use of Microsoft Learn resources, saying, “Learning paths and modules are so helpful for getting a basic understanding of security to help you set your department up for success. Later, you can transition to more advanced content as you strategize for your organization in a role like solution architect.” April recommends the Cybersecurity Awareness - Microsoft Power Platform collection, which offers a basic understanding of Dataverse security capabilities. Plus, it explores fundamental Microsoft Power Platform security concepts. 

Earn a Microsoft Certification  

People who follow April know that she’s a passionate Microsoft Power Platform advocate with many certifications. She observes, “People are always asking me, ‘What should I do next on my path?’” April has a couple of recommendations for validating your skills by earning an industry-recognized Microsoft Certification. She says, “If you're building some secure applications for your team, then look into earning a Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate certification. [Pass Exam PL-200.] If you’re at a senior level, doing things like deploying scalable applications and managing security across the environment for an organization, then explore earning a Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Solution Architect Expert certification. [Pass Exam-PL-600 and a prerequisite.]” 

Keep learning with April Dunnam 

Now that you’ve gotten some key tips on how to handle security issues, it’s time to dive deep into Microsoft Power Platform and Dataverse on April Dunnam’s YouTube channel. Watch her new video on Microsoft Power Platform and Dataverse security—Why SharePoint Experts are using Dataverse—released just in time for Cybersecurity Awareness Month.