Microsoft is dedicated to building and preserving trust with its worldwide user base. One of the ways through which Microsoft executes this trust is by implementing and maintaining robust privacy principles across its wide array of products and services. These privacy principles are not only designed to safeguard users’ data but also to provide transparency on how the data is handled. Understanding these principles is crucial for anyone preparing for the MS-900 Microsoft 365 Fundamentals exam.
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Control
Microsoft gives individuals the right to access, correct, delete, and transport their data. The company has created various portals and dashboards where individuals can manage their privacy settings. For instance, the Privacy Dashboard allows users to manage their privacy settings, delete search history, location data, and view and delete voice data collected by Cortana (for users with a Microsoft account).
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Accountability
Microsoft holds itself accountable for protecting the privacy of your data. It conducts extensive privacy reviews of its services and products, maintains robust data security practices, and uses strong encryption to protect your data. These processes are embedded in Microsoft’s operations, and thorough audits are carried out to ensure compliancy.
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Transparency
Microsoft is committed to being transparent about its data collection and use. The company provides detailed information about the type of data it collects, how it’s used, and with whom it’s shared in the Microsoft Privacy Statement. This transparency allows users to make informed decisions about their privacy.
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Security
Microsoft strives to protect data from unauthorized access with robust security measures. The company uses a variety of security technologies and procedures, such as Secure Development Lifecycle (SDL), a security assurance process that is integrated into software development. Plus, Microsoft uses technologies like Azure Information Protection for data classification and encryption and Advanced Threat Protection for detecting and preventing threats.
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Strong Legal Protections
Microsoft respects local privacy laws and fights for your privacy legal rights. It advocates for laws that protect your privacy rights and provides tools that enable compliance with various data protection laws across the globe, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
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Beneficial
Microsoft strives to ensure that the data it processes will only benefit the users. This principle also extends to Artificial Intelligence, which is developed and used in ways that respect user’s privacy rights. The company further uses data to improve products, services, and user experiences.
Microsoft’s privacy principles reflect a robust commitment to safeguarding end-users’ data. Understanding these principles not only provides users assurance about their right to data privacy but also proves essential for anyone taking the MS-900 Microsoft 365 Fundamentals exam. Microsoft’s approach to privacy is built on its commitment to transparency, control, accountability, beneficial use, and strong legal protections.
Practice Test
1) Microsoft provides users with the control of their data.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: Microsoft’s privacy principle allows customers to be in control of their data. They provide tools to manage, transport, and delete the data.
2) Microsoft uses customer data for advertising.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft does not use customer content/data for advertising. This is one of Microsoft’s key privacy principles.
3) Which of the following are the ways Microsoft maintains the transparency principle?
• A) By providing meaningful privacy choices
• B) By providing report on government and law enforcement requests
• C) By sharing user data with third parties
• D) By using user’s data to enhance user experience
Answer: A) By providing meaningful privacy choices, B) By providing report on government and law enforcement requests
Explanation: Microsoft brings in Transparency by providing privacy choices and by sharing information about government requests for user data, but does not share users’ private data with third parties without consent.
4) Microsoft benefits its partners with the customer data it owns.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft does not share its customer data with its partners without explicit consent.
5) The Microsoft privacy principle states that the customer has the right to access to and the ability to correct their personal data?
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: As per Microsoft’s privacy principles, customers have the right to access and correct their personal data.
6) Strong security safeguards are not a part of Microsoft’s privacy principles.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Security is an essential components in protecting privacy. Microsoft uses strong security measures to protect data.
7) Microsoft uses content and data from business customers to improve its products.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft does not use content or data from their enterprise customers to improve its products without explicit consent.
8) Microsoft always obtains valid legal processes before disclosing data to a third party.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: Ensuring lawful access is a guiding principle of Microsoft. It requires valid legal processes before disclosing data.
9) Who is responsible for Microsoft’s privacy principle for accountability?
• A) Company’s CEO
• B) Government
• C) Customer
• D) All employees
Answer: D) All employees
Explanation: Microsoft holds all employees accountable for adhering to privacy principles.
10) Microsoft sells user data to advertisers.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft respects user’s privacy and one of its privacy principles indicates that Microsoft does not sell user data to advertisers.
11) Personal data is transferred to third parties for marketing.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft doesn’t use what you say in email, chat, video calls, or voice mail, or your documents, photos, or other personal files to target ads to you.
12) According to Microsoft’s privacy principles, which of the following person has rights to access and control user data?
• A) Third party service providers
• B) Microsoft CEOs
• C) Users themselves
• D) All of the above
Answer: C) Users themselves
Explanation: According to Microsoft’s privacy principles, users have rights to access and control their own data.
13) Microsoft’s commitment to privacy is led by the CEO and executive leadership team.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: Privacy is a priority for Microsoft from the executive level down.
14) Microsoft privacy principles allow share data with law enforcement only if users permit.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft will share data under valid legal request from enforcement agencies, not necessarily requiring explicit user permission.
15) Microsoft uses strong security safeguards that consider the sensitivity of the personal data we process to secure your data.
• A) True
• B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: Microsoft’s privacy principles state that they will secure users’ data with strong security safeguards based on the sensitivity of the data.
Interview Questions
What are Microsoft’s privacy principles?
Microsoft’s privacy principles include control, transparency, strong legal protections, no content-based targeting, and benefits to the end user.
What is meant by “Control” in Microsoft’s privacy principle?
Control means that users have significant control over the collection of their personal information and how it is used.
What does “Transparency” refer to according to Microsoft’s privacy principles?
Transparency implies that Microsoft is clear about the data they collect, how it is collected, and how that data is used. Their practices and policies are communicated in a clear and plain language.
How does Microsoft uphold the privacy principle of “Strong legal protections”?
Microsoft defends the privacy rights of its users by challenging legal demands for personal data that Microsoft believes are either inappropriate or overreaching.
What does “No content-based targeting” mean in Microsoft’s privacy principle?
Microsoft does not use emails, chats, files or personal content to target users with ads.
How does Microsoft ensure “Benefits to the end user” in its privacy principles?
Microsoft uses data to benefit the end user by improving their products, providing personalized experiences and ensuring the safety and reliability of their services.
How does Microsoft promote privacy by design?
Microsoft implements privacy-by-design strategies that include data minimization, de-identification, pseudonymization, and strong security protections.
Does Microsoft share personal data without permission?
Microsoft doesn’t share personal data without obtaining explicit permission, except in strictly regulated cases, for instance where legal obligations have to be met.
How does Microsoft handle sensitive personal data?
Microsoft takes special precautions when handling sensitive data, only processing such data when it’s necessary or when users have given their explicit consent.
What steps does Microsoft take to ensure third parties respect user’s privacy?
Microsoft carefully selects and monitors third-parties they work with, requiring them to comply with strict data protection and privacy standards.
How does Microsoft guide user about their rights on their data?
Microsoft provides easy-to-understand information about users’ privacy rights, and makes tools available to allow users to exercise these rights.
How does Microsoft ensure the deletion of personal data?
Microsoft provides options to the users to delete their personal data and makes sure it gets deleted from their services when withdrawn.
How does Microsoft implement the principle of ‘Security’ in their privacy policy?
Microsoft uses a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect user’s personal data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
How does Microsoft comply with global privacy laws?
Microsoft is committed to comply with applicable data protection laws in the countries where they operate, while advocating for strong global privacy standards.
Are Microsoft’s privacy principles applied uniformly across all its services?
Yes, Microsoft applies these principles across all of its services, whether it be their software, devices, professional services, or enterprise cloud services.