How secure is your Microsoft 365 environment really? Many organizations assume that their information is secure. Until employees start using Copilot and suddenly get access to data they really shouldn’t have access to. Or when an audit takes place and questions are asked about legislation such as the AVG, the Archive Act or NIS2.
Without clear governance and compliance, you run serious risks. Sensitive documents can be too widely accessible, information persists longer than allowed, and AI solutions work with data that should never have been used that way. This often remains invisible until things go wrong.
This is precisely why insight is crucial. Not to check off rules, but to know where you stand, what risks there are and where you need to adjust. In this blog you can read why a Governance & Compliance scan is important for every company, what risks organizations run without this insight, and what a scan concretely delivers to keep a grip on information, legislation and future developments such as AI.
Whatever the situation in your organization, having a grip on information is not an afterthought. You want to know at all times that confidential information is only visible to the right people, that documents do not roam around endlessly and that your data is safely stored within Microsoft 365.
In practice, many organizations lack that overview. A Governance & Compliance scan helps to gain insight into how governance and compliance are actually set up within Microsoft 365, shows what needs attention and what you need to work on concretely. Even if you have already set it up properly, the scan provides assurance that everything is correct.
We give you 5 reasons why a Governance & Compliance scan is valuable for any organization:
Copilot uses the information available within Microsoft 365. That means existing permissions, structures and agreements directly determine what information Copilot can use and display to employees.
The risk?
If governance and compliance are not set up properly, Copilot can work with data that is not intended for that purpose. Sensitive documents may become visible to employees who should not have access to them, or information may be used outside the context for which it is intended. This increases the risks precisely because Copilot actively processes and presents this information.
What insight do you gain?
A Governance & Compliance scan reveals how access rights are set up, what information Copilot can use and where risks arise when deploying Copilot.
Laws and regulations set clear requirements for how organizations handle information within Microsoft 365. Think about how long information can be kept, who has access to what data, and how to demonstrate that this is properly set up.
The risk?
When governance and compliance are not clearly established or applied, you run the risk of not meeting legal obligations. Sensitive personal data may be stored for too long, information may be insufficiently protected and processes are not demonstrably set up. This increases the risk of sanctions when legislation is violated, as well as the risk of data breaches and the consequences that come with them.
What insight do you gain?
A Governance & Compliance scan provides insight into how retention periods, access rights and information classification are set up within Microsoft 365 and where this does not align with laws and regulations such as the AVG, Archive Act and NIS2.
For organizations working with or working toward certifications such as ISO27001, governance and compliance is a key component. These standards require demonstrable control over information and clear agreements on how data is managed and secured.
The risk?
When governance and compliance are insufficiently established or not demonstrably established, there is a risk that you will not meet the requirements of certifications such as ISO27001. Processes are then not well founded, responsibilities are unclear and measures around information security are not consistently implemented. This can lead to delays, additional remediation work or failure to achieve or maintain certification.
What insight do you gain?
A Governance & Compliance scan reveals the extent to which the setup of Microsoft 365 meets the requirements of certifications such as ISO27001 and where improvements are needed to ensure this demonstrably and structurally.
Employees work with information every day in Microsoft 365. They want to be able to collaborate easily, find documents quickly and also need to know what they can and cannot share.
The risk?
When governance and compliance are not clearly established, uncertainty arises among employees. Information is stored in different places, sensitive data can be shared unintentionally and agreements are interpreted differently. This increases the chances of errors, inefficient work and unintended risks around information security.
What insight do you gain?
A Governance & Compliance scan provides insight into how information is stored and shared, where ambiguity arises for employees and where structure or agreements are lacking. This provides concrete tools to set up Microsoft 365 so that employees can work safely, efficiently and with confidence.
Within Microsoft 365, new information is created and stored daily. Documents, emails and attachments often persist even when they are no longer needed or have lost their value.
The risk?
Without clear governance and compliance, storage grows unchecked. Information persists longer than necessary or permitted, obsolete documents remain in circulation, and it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain oversight. This not only increases compliance risks, but also makes it more difficult to retrieve and properly manage relevant information.
What insight do you gain?
A Governance & Compliance scan provides insight into how storage within Microsoft 365 is used, where information persists unnecessarily and where agreements on retention periods and cleanup are lacking. This helps to keep information manageable and get a grip on further growth.
Without proper understanding, risks often remain under the radar. As long as no incidents occur, everything seems to function as it should. Only in the event of a data breach, an audit or the deployment of new technology such as Copilot does it become clear where weaknesses lie. At that point, the impact is often greater and remedial measures are more complex and costly.
A Governance & Compliance scan provides this insight up front. You see where there are risks, which areas need attention and where you can make adjustments before problems arise. This allows you to be prepared, rather than having to react after the fact.
Want to make sure you know where your organization stands on governance and compliance? Request the Governance & Compliance Scan and get all the answers.
