Ensure the Privacy of Data and Compliance with GDPR in Power BI Reports. The nature of the data being handled, coupled with the need to protect some of it from unauthorized access, calls for certain measures to be put in place. Some of such measures include:
Use Data Masking and Row Level Security: One of the primary measures that should be taken to protect some data is to mask it appropriately where applicable. This is particularly important for fields bearing sensitive personal details such as names, email addresses, and identity card numbers, among others. Data masking serves to shield sensitive information by displaying such information in part or as jumbled text for other self-service users. Row-level security (RLS) is yet another critical functionality available in Power BI that enables all users access to data but only specific rows of data, depending on that person’s role. After setting RLS, it is possible to determine which segments of the information will be made visible to particular individuals in such a manner that only those individuals will be able to see that information, and this protects that information between different groups of individuals.
Minimize the Amount of Data that is Collected and Use Aggregation Instead: One of the important and strong principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the minimization of data. This implies only collecting and processing the data that is requisite for the defined purpose. Using Power BI in this sense means that the amount of personal data that is brought into reports has to be restrained to the very extent that it is realistic and reasonable for the given project. Instead of presenting entire datasets consisting of identifiable personal information, consider including only the shapes and aggregated figures relevant to the analysis. This will also protect privacy concerns since such presentations do not involve reports of individual records but aggregates such as totals or averages. It assists in reporting and ensuring that privacy is embedded in the design.
Let Us Activate Audit Logs and Data Sensitivity Labels: The features available in Power BI are aimed at tracking and monitoring the usage of different reports to ensure that they fully adhere to GDPR provisions. In this case, one can switch on power BI audit logs. When integrated with Microsoft Cloud App Security, one can determine who is looking at which reports and data sources, thus enhancing the control and insight over the access to data. Furthermore, Power BI also provides the ability to use Microsoft data sensitivity labels, which allow the imposition of different labels on data depending on how sensitive that data is. Such labels support users in knowing that the data is sensitive and should be treated with the utmost care, therefore promoting a culture of privacy and compliance in the organization.
