Data security and privacy are paramount concerns for organisations. With the introduction of Microsoft 365 Copilot, many administrators are understandably worried about the potential for oversharing sensitive information. Microsoft has introduced Restricted SharePoint Search (RSS) to address these concerns.
What is Restricted SharePoint Search?
Restricted SharePoint Search is a feature designed to help SharePoint Administrators control which SharePoint sites can participate in organisation-wide search and Copilot experiences. By curating an “allowed list” of sites, administrators can ensure that only sites with verified permissions and data governance are included.
Why Use Restricted SharePoint Search?
Using RSS provides several benefits:
- Prevents Oversharing: It restricts search results and Copilot references to a specific set of sites, preventing unauthorised access to sensitive information.
- Rapid implementation. : Allows organisations to continue deploying Copilot while implementing comprehensive data security measures.
- Respects Existing Permissions: Ensures that site owners manage individual site permissions effectively.
How Does It Work?
As a SharePoint Administrator, you can:
- Enable or disable RSS by using PowerShell commands
- Create an allowed list of up to 100 SharePoint sites.
- Add or remove sites from the allowed.
Impact on User Experience
Enabling RSS impacts the overall search experience, even for non-Copilot users too. Copilot will have less information available, which may affect its ability to provide comprehensive responses. However, users can still interact with files and content they own or have previously accessed.
Fore more details refer to Restricted SharePoint Search- Microsoft Learn