As I look ahead to 2025, I want to experiment with new blogging formats. One idea is to share slides from some of my most well-received presentations. I think it’s a great way to reuse work that I’ve tried and tested with other people.

This particular deck is a few months old—practically ancient in the fast-moving AI world—but it’s still highly relevant. Take a look and let me know if you have feedback on navigating it without the benefit of a voice-over.

Here You Go

The slide deck is titled How to Make Your Workplace Copilot Secure in 90 Days (click to navigate - in slide show mode for best experience).

It’s a comprehensive guide aimed at helping organizations secure their Microsoft 365 Copilot within a 90-day timeframe. It is designed to benefit IT professionals, security specialists, and organizational leaders who are responsible for implementing and maintaining security measures for Microsoft 365 Copilot.

The presentation is structured to provide a clear roadmap for securing M365 Copilot, divided into three main phases over three months:

1. Month 1: Understand Microsoft 365 Copilot architecture - This phase focuses on understanding the architecture of Microsoft 365 Copilot. It includes detailed information on how Copilot integrates with Microsoft 365 apps, the Microsoft Graph, and large language models, ensuring that users have a solid foundation of knowledge before moving forward.

2. Month 2: Preparing your IT environment for Microsoft 365 Copilot - This phase involves preparing the organization's environment for Copilot deployment. It covers essential steps such as setting up security controls, managing data access, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. The goal is to create a secure and compliant environment that supports the safe use of M365 Copilot.

3. Month 3: Project scope for pilot and deployment - The final phase focuses on scoping the project for pilot testing and full deployment. It includes practical guidance on managing data risks, implementing data loss prevention policies, and monitoring Copilot interactions to ensure ongoing security and compliance.

The slide deck also emphasizes the importance of timeboxing, a productivity technique that involves allocating specific time periods for tasks to enhance focus and efficiency. It provides insights into the benefits of timeboxing and how it can be applied to a 90-day (i.e. 3 month) plan.

Readers scrolling through the slide deck asynchronously without any voice-over can use it as a step-by-step guide to secure their company’s Microsoft 365 Copilot. The presentation includes visual explanations with slide notes, practical tips, and actionable steps that can be followed independently. Additionally, it offers a downloadable cheat sheet for quick reference and several demo slides to help users visualize parts of the implementation process.

Overall, the slide deck serves as an unofficial yet comprehensive guide to help organizations move in the right direction towards securing their Microsoft 365 Copilot, ensuring that they are well-prepared to manage data risks and enhance productivity in a secure manner.

Do You Need Official Microsoft Resources?

If you're looking for official guidelines on securing Microsoft 365 Copilot and related topics, below are my top go-to resources for 2025. I regularly share these with customers, as they provide actionable, downloadable materials that can be tailored to your internal processes and projects:

1. M365 Copilot Blueprint for Oversharing

   • A comprehensive guide to prevent oversharing in Microsoft 365 Copilot.

   • Includes: A downloadable and editable PowerPoint to customize for your organization.

2. Secure by Default with Microsoft Purview

   • A blueprint for end-to-end data security, beyond just M365 Copilot.

   • Includes: A downloadable and editable PowerPoint for secure deployment planning.

3. Zero Trust Adoption Framework: Identifying and Protecting Sensitive Business Data

   • A framework to help identify and safeguard sensitive data using zero trust principles.

   • Includes:

     • A downloadable PowerPoint.

     • A downloadable Excel spreadsheet with a breakdown of technical implementation stages, objectives, and tasks.

4. Zero Trust Adoption Framework: Meeting Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

   • A step-by-step guide for aligning your data practices with regulatory requirements.

   • Includes:

     • A downloadable PowerPoint.

     • A downloadable Excel spreadsheet outlining stages, objectives, and tasks for technical implementation.

5. M365 Copilot Technical Readiness Guide

   • A detailed guide to help technical teams prepare for M365 Copilot adoption.

   • Available at: Microsoft Copilot Adoption Website

   • Includes: A downloadable PowerPoint with official readiness and assessment materials for data governance, including a 3 month (described as 12 week) plan of its own - that’s especially handy for project and change managers.

Make sure you scroll down long enough to find the downloadable materials in each of the articles. Happy reading, and all the best with your Microsoft 365 Copilot deployments.