The session kicked off with an introduction to the MS-4017 course, focused on managing Microsoft 365 Copilot at the tenant level. It's a technical course aimed at administrators who have experience with Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365. The goal is to understand how to configure Copilot, manage expectations, and cover a mix of technical and conceptual aspects.
A significant portion of the session was dedicated to security and compliance, highlighting the critical role of Microsoft Purview. Purview, formerly known as the compliance center, is a powerful solution for information protection, including sensitivity labeling and data loss prevention. It helps ensure that sensitive information used by Copilot is identified and protected. The importance of aligning with regulations like GDPR and ISO standards was also emphasized, with Purview offering assessment tools to help organizations achieve compliance.
The concept of Zero Trust was discussed as a central pillar for security, emphasizing "never trust, always verify". This includes explicit verification, the principle of least privilege, and assuming breaches. Applying "just-in-time access" and "just-enough access" principles were highlighted as key to reducing the risk of data leaks.
The session then moved to SharePoint Advanced Management. It's crucial to ensure data in SharePoint is well-organized, secure, and has the correct permissions before fully leveraging Copilot. The importance of managing content governance, limiting oversharing, and cleaning up unused sites with potentially sensitive information was underscored. SharePoint Administrators play a key role and require specific permissions to manage these settings. Permissions can be set at the site, page, folder, and even individual file level.
Preparing your data for Copilot is another critical step. This involves eliminating redundant, outdated, and trivial data (ROT). Cleaning up old versions of documents and ensuring consistent naming conventions are essential for Copilot to provide accurate and relevant responses. Tagging files with keywords acts as metadata, making it easier for Copilot to retrieve specific information. Establishing clear governance and security policies for Microsoft 365 and Copilot is also vital, with designated individuals or teams responsible for data quality.
Understanding Copilot licensing is crucial for implementation. Copilot is an add-on to existing Microsoft 365 licenses, requiring at least a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 or E5 license, or specific Office Enterprise E3 or E5 licenses. Best practices for license assignment involve monitoring usage and ensuring that licenses are allocated to those who actively benefit from Copilot.
The session also touched upon extending Copilot capabilities. Copilot Studio allows for the creation of custom copilots and agents with specific functionalities, connecting to various data sources and automating processes. This is distinct from the core Microsoft 365 Copilot, which focuses on employee productivity within Microsoft 365 applications. Connectors and plugins can further extend Copilot's reach to external data sources like Salesforce and Service Now.
Finally, the discussion clarified the different types of Copilot: