-
Bharti Goel
- December 27, 2022
We all know that Power BI is an excellent tool for collecting and presenting data in front of our audience. One main reason for this is the data security offered by Power BI.
We are sure that nobody initially starts thinking about data security when they first start working with Power BI. But the fact is, it gets very confusing as you further dig into it.
Power BI offers different levels of security to secure data. Microsoft keys completely encrypt all the data which Power BI persists. Hence, this blog is about the different types of security offered by Power BI.
There are six types of securities in Power BI. For example,
- Row-level Security
- Object-level Security
- Page-Level security OR Tab-Level Security
- Privacy Levels In Power Query
- Office 365 Sensitivity Labels
- Power BI Workspace Security
6 Types of Data Security in Power BI
1. Row-Level Security
Row-level security in Power BI enables you to control access to rows in a database table. You use group membership or execution context to control it. We document this security feature very well. Therefore, people in the Power BI community often understand it easily.
There are two forms of the Row-level security feature. For example,
- Dynamic RLS
- Static RLS
2. Object-Level Security
Object-level security feature enables model authors to secure particular columns or tables from report viewers. Additionally, OLS also restricts object names and metadata. You can learn more about Object-level security in this piece of content.
3. Page-Level Security
Page-level security, as its name implies, allows for conditional control over the visibility of pages to users.
In other words, we use page-level security to control access to the report pages in Power BI. Upon implementing this feature, some users get to see some particular pages, and some users get to see other particular pages. However, Power BI, as of today, doesn’t support visual-level or page-level security. There is a workaround to do it using conditional page navigation and RLS.
4. Privacy Levels In Power Query
Out of all the different types of securities in Power BI, this one is the least understood mechanism.
The purpose of the privacy levels in Power Query is to limit the possibility of data being passed from one system to another. Let’s understand this in a little more detail.
Imagine that you are loading data from a relational database. In this case, it is very common that Power Query transformations can be converted/translated into SQL code. They can be passed on to the source database. This is known as query folding.
Now assume that you are receiving data from two databases. Out of those two databases, one contains highly personal data; personal information about employees or customers.
Imagine yourself in a situation where you want to filter data in the database that contains sensitive data. In such a situation, you would not like sensitive data to be passed from one database to another. Here comes Privacy Levels in action. The privacy levels help you manage situations like these. It prevents the passage of data from one database to another.
5. Office 365 Sensitivity Labels
Office 365 Sensitivity Label is a security feature, and the admins of Microsoft 365 and Azure control it.
Sensitivity labels help in controlling enforced encryption and limiting capabilities to distribute information inside and outside your tenant. Moreover, only the admin can enable them. Once the admin configures labels and policies, you become eligible to add a sensitivity label on a Power BI report.
Keep in mind that this feature may incur additional costs. So, it completely depends on the subscription level of your Microsoft 365.
6. Power BI Workspace Security
You may be familiar with creating workspaces in the Power BI service. Recently, Microsoft disabled the automatic creation of a workspace in Power BI when creating a team in MS Teams. Well, surprised or not?
Each workspace in Power BI mainly has four roles.
1. Admin: An admin is free to do whatever s/he wants in a workspace.
2. Member: A member is eligible to add any content to a workspace and change most of its settings. Additionally, a member can not only add other users with the “member role,” but can also add contributors and viewers.
3. Contributor: A contributor is eligible to add reports and datasets to a workspace. However, a contributor can change the Power BI app only after the admin’s permission.
4. Viewer: Viewers only exist in places where you have a premium capacity. A viewer can access any content in the workspace. However, can not change anything.
You need to assign roles to users or even Microsoft 365 groups. That’s when Power BI Workspace Security comes into action. It controls access to all the published artefacts like reports and datasets.
Additionally, how to handle workspace security is very important. After all, it is the first level of protection. Guess what is more ironic? We list this as the last one.
You can also learn from the Microsoft website about Data Protection in Power BI. We have tried our best to provide you required information about Types of Data security in Power BI.
To sum up, it was all about different types of securities in Power BI. We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Thank you so much for giving up your precious time. We welcome your thoughts and viewpoints in the comment section. Please refer FAQ as well.
FAQ: Data Security in Power BI
1. How can I restrict certain users from seeing specific rows in my Power BI report?
You can use Row-Level Security (RLS). It lets you control which rows a user can access based on their role or group membership. Dynamic RLS adjusts automatically, while Static RLS is fixed.
2. Can I hide certain tables or columns from some users?
Yes! Object-Level Security (OLS) allows you to secure particular columns or tables, even hiding metadata, so users only see what they’re allowed to.
3. How do I control which pages of a report a user can see?
While Power BI doesn’t natively support page-level security, you can use conditional page navigation combined with RLS to control access to specific report pages.
4. What are Privacy Levels in Power Query, and why should I care?
Privacy Levels prevent sensitive data from accidentally passing from one database to another during transformations. This is crucial if you’re working with confidential employee or customer data.
5. How do Office 365 Sensitivity Labels help with Power BI security?
Admins can enforce encryption and control sharing policies using sensitivity labels, making sure only authorized users can access or distribute reports.
6. How should I manage security in a Power BI workspace?
Assign roles carefully: Admin, Member, Contributor, Viewer, to control access to reports, datasets, and workspace settings. This is your first line of protection.
7. Can I prevent accidental sharing of sensitive data within Power BI?
Yes, combining RLS, OLS, and sensitivity labels ensures users only see what they’re allowed to, preventing unintentional data leaks.
8. How do I know if my data security setup is really effective?
Regularly test your RLS rules, workspace roles, and sensitivity labels. Try viewing the report as a test user to ensure they only access what’s intended.
9. Are there tools or training that help me master Power BI security?
Absolutely! Edu4Sure’s Power BI training programs cover everything from RLS and OLS to workspace security and sensitivity labels, giving hands-on practice with real-world scenarios.
10. Can security in Power BI affect report performance?
Yes, complex RLS rules or many layers of security can slow down large reports. Optimising your model and using efficient DAX formulas can help maintain performance.
Do you need professional training, or would you like to discuss your needs with our trainers? You can contact us via partner@edu4sure.com or WhatsApp at +91-9555115533.
