Business vs Enterprise for Microsoft 365 Copilot | What’s the Security difference?
Nick Ross · · Video and write-up
In a previous article (opens in new tab), I outline the security and data privacy risks related to Microsoft 365 Copilot. I also outlined some process definitions you should take to help protect your data before onboarding Copilot at scale. In this article, I break down the native security and compliance features that come part of the Business and Enterprise plans. I built this into a feature matrix that showcases the specific security and compliance features for Copilot. In this article, I also cover these features in a demo format from my YouTube channel.
Feature Matrix
I bucketized these into Data Protection and Access Controls to follow the CIS Controls. As you can see, Business Premium checks a decent amount of boxes across both categories. I think it is interesting it checks the same amount as M365 E3. Keep in mind, this matrix is really just looking in the lens of protecting data as it relates to Copilot. E3 has a ton of other features that I am not highlighting here. For the full breakdown, check out these resources from Microsoft:
Modern-Work-Plan-Comparison-SMB (opens in new tab)
Modern-Work-Plan-Comparison-Enterprise (opens in new tab)
microsoft-365-compliance-licensing-comparison (opens in new tab)
E5 has one of the most important features which is Data Classification. This allows you to automatically discover and tag data within your entire organization based on common types of sensitive information such as PII, Credit cards, etc. as well as your own custom definitions. Trainable classifiers can be created against SharePoint repositories to discover new information you might want to protect was well. This is going to be out of reach for most of SMB so I think most businesses will turn to a 3rd party solution as part of an ongoing strategy to protect data.
This is another matrix I created to showcase potential add-ons for the business plans that might bridge the gap between E5, at a lower price point. Entra ID P2 and EMS + E5 can be bolted on to Business Standard and Business Premium. Combined, their costs would be lower than moving to E5. While you do get to check all the boxes in the Access Control section, there is limited additional capabilities as it relates to data protection. Auto-labeling with EMS+E5 would be the highlight.
Finally, there is a E5 Infromation Protection and Governance add-on that does not require an Enterprise license prerequisite. While only a subset of the features of E5 Compliance, it checks a ton of our data protection boxes and is only an additional $7/user/month which you could bolt on to BP. Other Enterprise considerations:
- E5 Compliance requires at least E3 base plan
- E3 + E5 Compliance combined is $9/user/month cheaper than moving to E5
Feature Demos
Check out a small demo of all of these features in my YouTube video:
Feature Resources:
- Securing data in an AI-first world with Microsoft Purview – Microsoft Community Hub (opens in new tab)
- Manage sharing settings for SharePoint and OneDrive in Microsoft 365 – SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Sharing & permissions in the SharePoint modern experience – SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Get started with trainable classifiers | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Learn about data loss prevention | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Data loss prevention and Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Learn about Endpoint data loss prevention | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Prevent data leak through web apps with Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention – Microsoft Community Hub (opens in new tab)
- eDiscovery Standard Vs Premium: Microsoft Purview eDiscovery solutions | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- The Next Era of eDiscovery: Embracing Advanced Capabilities for a Comprehensive Digital Landscape – Microsoft Community Hub (opens in new tab)
- Search for and delete Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 data | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Entra ID Governance Plans: Microsoft Entra ID Governance licensing fundamentals – Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Microsoft unveils expansion of AI for security and security for AI at Microsoft Ignite | Microsoft Security Blog (opens in new tab)
- Learn about retention for Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- Security for AI: Discover, protect, and prepare in the AI era (microsoft.com) (opens in new tab)
- What are lifecycle workflows? – Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
- What are access reviews? – Microsoft Entra – Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Microsoft Learn (opens in new tab)
Copilot can reach whatever your users can. Check what that is first.
Before and after a Copilot rollout, CloudCapsule scans 300+ Microsoft 365 security controls in about a minute, shows what to fix first, and watches for drift so access stays where you set it.
No credit card required. Results in < 2 minutes.
Keep reading
Get Copilot Features Before Everyone Else (Frontier Program Explained)
You see a new Microsoft Copilot feature on LinkedIn, open your own tenant to try it, and it is nowhere to be found. You refresh. You check another app. Still nothing. There is a good chance the person showing off that feature is part of Microsoft Frontier. Frontier is Microsoft’s early access program for new […]
Microsoft Copilot Cowork Review: Great Product, Brutal Pricing
After using Microsoft Copilot Cowork every day for a month, here’s my honest review, favorite workflows, pricing concerns, and whether it’s worth buying. Microsoft Copilot Cowork Is the First Copilot Feature I Actually Want to Use For the last two years, Microsoft Copilot has struggled to keep up with tools like ChatGPT and Claude. The […]
This copilot trick generates sales insights from Teams meetings
You just wrapped a sales call. It went well, at least, you think it did. You remember a few key points. They mentioned a competitor, maybe. Budget sounded promising. But it’s 4:30 PM, your notes are scattered, and updating the CRM feels like a second job. Here’s the thing: your Teams meeting already captured everything. […]