With the most recent announcement of Power BI’s inclusion in the Azure Trust Center, it is a good time to review where we are today with Power BI security and compliance as it relates to various customer needs. I do a lot of work with financial, energy, and medical customers. These groups represent a large amount of compliance and regulation needs. I wanted to understand where we are today and this announcement is significant.
What’s in the Announcement?
One the primary roadblocks to accepting the Power BI service has been the lack of compliance and concerns around security. Microsoft has been making a number of enterprise level improvement to the Power BI service and desktop. Power BI now has the following compliance certifications:
This announcement shows Microsoft’s continued commitment to security and compliance in its cloud based products. While Power BI is not yet to the level of Office 365, some key compliance areas are now covered.
I think the most significant compliance certification is HIPAA/HITECH which removes barriers related for the medical industry. As hospitals, insurance companies, and providers scramble to meet reporting demands from their customers and the government, Power BI gives them a flexible reporting and visualization platform to meet those needs. It will empower self-service in the organizations and departmental or enterprise collaboration with data. The HIPAA/HITECH certification will allow them to use the platform with more confidence and security.
Beyond medical, more institutions will be able to rely on Power BI in a manner that is compliant and safe. As Microsoft continues this journey with Power BI and its other Azure based offerings, customers will be able to react more quickly to the changing business and regulatory environments with confidence in the security and management of their data.
The Reality – You Are as Secure as You Choose to Be
Even with this significant move by Microsoft, you are still responsible for implementing a secure, compliant solution. Microsoft is merely providing tools that are secure and will comply with regulations if implemented correctly. The key to a secure environment will always be you. The data you use and analyze with Power BI is ultimately your responsibility.
I encourage you to review the following resources in addition to the ones above as you determine your security and compliance within the Power BI product:
