Data Security and Access Management in Microsoft Tools: Excel, Power Query and Power BI

Abstract

In the era of accelerated digitalization and the large volume of information generated by the internet, social networks, financial transactions, etc., the exponential growth of data requires it to be processed, analyzed, reported and secured. These processes are fundamental to transform raw data into valuable information that supports strategic decisions, operations and innovations in an increasingly digitalized world. Protecting data and information is an important issue in the context where the large volume of information is exposed to cybersecurity risks, data theft, unauthorized access and other threats. The main objectives of this research are to identify and describe some methods and strategies for securing and managing data access in the application environment: Microsoft Excel, Power Query, Power BI, in order to evaluate their effectiveness in the development of information processing. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, with a focus on integrating solutions with Azure Active Directory and applying best practices in information protection. Applying security measures helps protect the confidentiality and integrity of data, ensuring business continuity and the trust of customers and partners. Data must be protected not only during storage, but also during processing and transmission between various organizations, systems and applications. In this context, in MS Excel there are techniques such as: file encryption, password protection of spreadsheets, data access control, access auditing and monitoring, encryption of connections in Power Query, deletion of sensitive data, password protection for connecting to the external data source, file sharing with protection, backup and restore, data validation and integrity rules, source access control (SQL, APIs, etc.). UDC: [004.056.52+004.056.53+004.4]:005.334; JEL: D8, O3, L8, M1, G2