Organisations are increasingly confident in using AI, particularly when deploying “containerised” instances where company data is kept private and not used to train public models. However, as AI becomes a core part of workplace collaboration, a growing risk is emerging—over-permissioning.
According to ACA Group, in modern digital workplaces, tools like SharePoint have become indispensable for document management and knowledge sharing. Yet, as businesses embed AI-powered tools such as enterprise search assistants and chatbots into their daily workflows, the unintended consequence is that weak access controls can expose sensitive information.
Over-permissioning occurs when users or groups are granted more access than they need. This can happen due to misconfigured permission inheritance, broad group-level access (such as “everyone” or “all authenticated users”), a lack of regular audits, gradual permission creep, or prioritising convenience over security. While such oversights may seem minor, the risks multiply when AI tools are added to the mix.
Modern AI integrations with collaboration platforms are designed to scan across organisational data to provide fast, context-aware answers. If a user has access to a file—even by mistake—AI assumes it is permissible to use that content in its responses. This can lead to sensitive material being revealed unintentionally.
Consider a scenario in which a junior employee asks an AI tool, “What’s our pricing strategy for next quarter?” If they have access to a confidential document detailing that strategy, the AI could summarise or directly quote from it. This is not a software flaw—it’s the permissions model functioning as intended, but with unintended exposure when access is too broad.
The risks extend far beyond pricing plans. HR files containing salary details, legal contracts, or M&A strategy decks left in shared locations with inherited permissions are all examples of sensitive documents that could be surfaced by AI in response to an innocent query.
To mitigate these risks, organisations can adopt several best practices. Regularly auditing shared document permissions with tools like Microsoft Purview or SharePoint Admin Center is essential. Applying the principle of least privilege—ensuring users only have access to the information they need—helps reduce exposure. Reviewing logical access design and avoiding permission inheritance for sensitive folders or sites adds another layer of security. Sensitivity labels and data loss prevention policies can limit AI access to classified files, and staff should be educated on the implications of sharing documents when AI tools are in play.
AI is only as secure as the data it can access. In an era where AI acts as a digital assistant, over-permissioning is no longer just an IT oversight—it is a serious business risk. By tightening permissions and understanding AI’s interaction with organisational data, companies can leverage AI’s benefits without sacrificing security or privacy.
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