Max: “Zoe, I just had a bit of a panic moment. I got a request from Microsoft Support asking to access our customer data. It felt like giving the keys to the kingdom away!”
Zoe: “Oh, Max, you’re overthinking it. This is where Customer Lockbox comes in handy. It’s like having a bouncer at the door who only lets people in if you give the nod.”
Max: “Customer Lockbox? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never really understood how it works.”
Zoe: “Let me break it down for you. Customer Lockbox is a feature in Power Platform that gives you, the administrator, control over who accesses your customer data. It’s mainly for those rare cases when Microsoft engineers might need to access data to troubleshoot an issue.”
Max: “So, every time Microsoft needs access to our data, they have to ask for permission first?”
Zoe: “Exactly! When they need access, a lockbox request is generated, and you, or whoever is designated as the Power Platform administrator, gets to approve or deny that request. Microsoft can’t proceed without your approval.”
Max: “What happens if I ignore the request? Does it just stay open indefinitely?”
Zoe: “Nope! If you don’t approve it within four days, the request expires, and Microsoft won’t get access. But that could delay resolving any issues, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on those requests.”
Max: “Makes sense. How do I enable this Lockbox feature?”
Zoe: “It’s simple. You just go to the Power Platform admin center, navigate to the Tenant settings, and turn on Customer Lockbox. Keep in mind, it only applies to environments that are activated for Managed Environments.”
Max: “Got it. And once it’s enabled, I’ll get notified about any access requests?”
Zoe: “Exactly. You’ll get an email notification, and you can also see all requests in the Power Platform admin center under Policies > Customer Lockbox.”
Max: “This is great. But what about auditing these requests? Can I see who approved or denied access?”
Zoe: “Of course! Every lockbox request is recorded and can be audited through Microsoft 365 Defender. You can see all the details, like who made the request, when it was made, and the decision that was taken.”
Max: “That’s reassuring. But what if a situation arises where Microsoft needs to access our data immediately, like during a major outage?”
Zoe: “Good question. In rare emergency scenarios, known as ‘break glass’ events, Microsoft might bypass the Lockbox process. But these are very rare and usually don’t involve meaningful customer data access.”
Max: “I see. So, what’s the catch? Are there any limitations I should be aware of?”
Zoe: “There are a few. For example, tenant-to-tenant migrations aren’t supported when Customer Lockbox is enabled. You’d have to disable it temporarily for the migration and then re-enable it afterward. Also, some features like Copilot AI don’t fall under the Lockbox policy.”
Max: “Sounds like a solid safeguard overall. I feel much better knowing I have this level of control over our data.”
Zoe: “Absolutely, Max. With Customer Lockbox, you’re not just handing over the keys—you’re deciding who gets in and when.”
Max: “Thanks, Zoe. I’m definitely enabling this today. Our data security just got a whole lot tighter!”
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