Microsoft announced a major update aimed at bolstering the cybersecurity of its flagship AI-powered productivity assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and its suite of Office apps.
The integration of SafeLinks protection at time-of-click marks a significant step forward in safeguarding users from modern cyber threats.
AI is revolutionizing workflows across industries, and Microsoft Copilot is at the forefront of this transformation.
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Copilot Chat, the AI-powered conversational experience embedded in Microsoft 365, is designed to help users work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively.
However, as AI tools become ubiquitous in business environments, they have also attracted the attention of cyber attackers who are leveraging AI to craft increasingly sophisticated threats.
“Security of AI remains a primary focus at Microsoft,” said a company spokesperson. “We are committed to ensuring our AI-powered tools are both secure and reliable for business-critical applications.”
SafeLinks: Intelligent Protection at the Point of Click
Microsoft Defender for Office 365’s SafeLinks feature is now available globally across Copilot Chat on Desktop, Web, Outlook Mobile, Teams Mobile, and the Microsoft 365 Copilot Mobile apps, for both iOS and Android.
This enhancement brings time-of-click URL protection to hyperlinks included in Copilot Chat’s responses. Users with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (MDO) Plan 1 or Plan 2 benefit from immediate threat detection, with no additional policy configuration needed.
Every time a user clicks a link within Copilot Chat, SafeLinks checks the URL’s reputation in real-time, preventing unwitting visits to malicious sites.
Threat intelligence is seamlessly integrated, with all click activity and detected threats visible in the Defender for Office 365 Security Center. Security analysts can now trace threats back to their origin, improving both incident investigation and response.
Importantly, even users without SafeLinks coverage receive a native time-of-click URL reputation check within Copilot Chat, ensuring broader baseline protection.
Additionally, Copilot Chat now displays hyperlinks in responses drawn from relevant grounding data, enhancing transparency and usability without compromising security.
Following this rollout, SafeLinks protection will soon extend to Copilot App Chats in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, further solidifying Microsoft’s commitment to end-to-end security for all productivity tools.
As AI-enabled workplace tools become indispensable, Microsoft’s proactive approach ensures organizations can reap the benefits of AI while staying secure against evolving cyber threats.
With SafeLinks now guarding every click, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat sets a new standard for trusted, business-ready AI solutions.
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