Microsoft 365 Copilot Security & Governance Consultant 100% Remote

Job Description: M365 Copilot Readiness, Security Guardrails, Decisions & Documentation

1. Background & Objectives

Client requires an independent Microsoft 365 Copilot assessment and configuration plan to ensure Copilot is enabled effectively, securely, and in compliance with internal policies and audit expectations.

Objectives

• Assess tenant-wide data exposure and oversharing risks that Copilot could surface.
• Define and implement Copilot guardrails, policies, and monitoring processes.
• Produce decision-ready guidance for IT on what to enable now vs later.
• Deliver audit-ready documentation of configurations, controls, and operating procedures.

2.1 Workstream A — Discovery & Readiness Assessment: Activities

• Review tenant Copilot readiness posture and security baseline.
• Inventory and evaluate content access patterns across SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Exchange, and Microsoft 365 groups.
• Identify oversharing/permission risks (e.g., broad groups, broken inheritance, legacy sharing links).
• Review identity and access controls impacting Copilot usage (e.g., Conditional Access, MFA, guest access settings).
• Review current Purview posture (labels, DLP, retention, audit logging) as it relates to Copilot.

• Tenant-wide data exposure assessment
• Oversharing risk findings with severity and remediation options
• “Copilot can surface this data because…” traceability narrative

2.2 Workstream B — Guardrails, Policy Design & Configuration: Activities

• Define Copilot governance guardrails for business users (acceptable use, sensitive data handling, prompt guidance).
• Define and configure Copilot-related controls across:
• Microsoft 365 Copilot enablement strategy (pilot groups, staged rollout)
• SharePoint/OneDrive sharing controls and defaults
• Purview sensitivity labels strategy and enforcement approach
• DLP alignment for key data classes (e.g., confidential, regulated)
• Audit logging requirements and review approach.
• Create IT decision framework: Turn On / Turn Off / Turn On Later with rationale and prerequisites.

• Copilot policy set (technical controls + guidance)
• IT enablement decision matrix and sequencing plan
• Policy-to-risk mapping (why each control exists)

2.3 Workstream C — Monitoring, Compliance, and Operating Model: Activities

• Define monitoring and compliance operating procedures:
• Who monitors, how often, what signals matter
• Escalation workflow for suspected data exposure or misuse
• Evidence collection and retention for audit defensibility
• Establish a repeatable process for ongoing content governance improvements.

• Copilot monitoring and compliance runbook
• Escalation workflow + RACI (roles/responsibilities)
• Audit evidence checklist (what to capture, where, and frequency)

2.4 Workstream D — Documentation & Knowledge Transfer: Activities

• Document end-state configurations and rationale.
• Provide workshops for IT admins/security/compliance and business champions.

• Configuration documentation package (tenant settings, Purview, sharing defaults, key policies)
• Admin quick-reference guide (how to maintain/operate controls)
• Final readout (executive summary + technical appendix)

• M365 Copilot readiness assessment expertise
• Can evaluate tenant readiness and explain Copilot data exposure paths (Graph grounding, permissions-driven access) in plain English for IT/security/audit audiences.
• Data exposure & oversharing risk analysis
• Proven ability to identify and prioritize oversharing risks across SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Exchange, and M365 Groups (broad groups, broken inheritance, legacy links, guest access patterns).
• SharePoint/OneDrive/Teams governance & remediation
• Deep understanding of permissions, sharing policies/defaults, external collaboration controls, site lifecycle governance, and running permission-cleanup campaigns.
• Microsoft Purview implementation (compliance guardrails)
• Hands-on design/configuration of Sensitivity Labels, DLP, Retention, and Audit practices aligned to Copilot rollout and data classification.
• Entra ID (Azure AD) identity & access controls
• Strong capability in Conditional Access, MFA posture review, device compliance concepts, and guest/external access governance that impacts Copilot usage.
• Security guardrails & policy design
• Can define Copilot use guardrails (acceptable use, sensitive data handling, prompt guidance) and map each control to a specific risk it mitigates.
• Decision framework creation (enable now vs later)
• Skill in producing a pragmatic Enable / Disable / Defer decision matrix with prerequisites, sequencing, business impact, and technical dependencies.
• Monitoring, compliance operations & incident workflows
• Can build an operating model: monitoring signals, cadence, escalation paths, evidence capture, and RACI for sustained compliance.
• Audit-ready documentation & traceability
• Produces defensible documentation packages: configuration “what/where/why,” control narratives, evidence checklists, runbooks, screenshots/log retention plans, and executive-ready readouts.
• Executive + technical communication
• Comfortable delivering readouts/workshops to admins, security/compliance, and business stakeholders; translates technical controls into risk and decision language.