From insight to action: Protecting the data behind SharePoint agents

Microsoft’s intro to SharePoint agents at Ignite has opened new doors for managed service providers (MSPs) looking to test and deploy Copilot experiences for their customers. However, with great innovation comes MSP responsibility—particularly in securing and recovering critical business data. Understanding how SharePoint agents interact with corporate data and how to leverage data protection solutions, such as ConnectWise Cloud Backup™, is key to ensuring a seamless and secure AI-driven experience for your customers.

What are SharePoint agents?

SharePoint agents are AI-powered assistants designed to enhance collaboration and content management within Microsoft SharePoint. A general definition of agents is that they are powerful tools that help employees quickly discover and extract insights from corporate data. With just a few clicks, users can create and share a Copilot agent in SharePoint—no coding required—all while maintaining security compliance. Whether it’s surfacing critical information or streamlining workflows, these agents help organizations work smarter, not harder.

The data behind SharePoint agents

As MSPs assist customers in piloting Copilot with controlled datasets, understanding how these agents interact with corporate data becomes crucial for ensuring both efficiency and compliance. At their core, SharePoint agents leverage SharePoint Online data—a vast ecosystem where hundreds of millions of users generate over 2.5 billion new files daily. This immense knowledge base, once siloed, is now readily accessible through Copilot agents, empowering teams with instant insights and streamlined workflows.

Why protecting SharePoint data is essential

The rise of AI in business applications has put corporate data in the spotlight. While business data encompasses operational and transactional information, corporate data extends to strategic and proprietary assets, making its protection even more critical. Since SharePoint serves as a central repository for corporate knowledge, protecting and managing this data is vital to maintaining business continuity and compliance.

By ensuring proper data protection, MSPs can help customers confidently explore AI-powered capabilities without exposing sensitive data to unnecessary risks.

Advanced recovery: restoring SharePoint data across sites

As partners test Copilot with specific datasets, having flexible and reliable recovery options is essential. ConnectWise Cloud Backup’s introduction of cross restore for SharePoint Online now allows MSPs to restore one SharePoint site into another while preserving its structure. This innovation helps overcome native restoration challenges and enables controlled, risk-free testing of SharePoint agents.

Key benefits include:

• Controlled AI testing: Set up isolated environments to test Copilot without risking live data.
• Seamless site restoration: Restore multiple SharePoint sites into a new location while maintaining data integrity.
• Faster recovery and deployment: Quickly restore and configure SharePoint sites to meet evolving business needs.

Stay ahead with SharePoint data protection

AI-powered tools such as Microsoft Copilot are transforming business workflows, but without a strong data protection strategy, organizations risk exposure to compliance gaps and data loss. MSPs have a critical role in helping customers navigate this shift securely. With data protection in place, MSPs can give customers the confidence to explore AI-driven tools while maintaining full control over their SharePoint environments.

Ready to future-proof your customers’ AI adoption?

Download the 2025 Microsoft Renewal Guide for MSPs to drive renewals, educate clients on data protection, and ensure their SharePoint environments are AI-ready.