Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Secure Power BI Workspaces
You keep your data safe in Power BI by creating secure workspaces. To create secure workspaces, you need to set things up carefully with clear roles assigned to people and strong permission controls in place.
If you do not create secure workspaces, your business data can be seen by others, leading to data leaks, financial loss, and damage to your company’s reputation.
Giving access to certain people helps you control who can create, view, or share content.
Security groups allow you to manage permissions centrally, making it easier to maintain.
Workspace roles and row-level security provide additional layers of protection for your data.
Regularly checking and reviewing your workspaces helps keep them secure and supports effective teamwork.
Key Takeaways
Make safe workspaces with the Power BI Admin Portal. Only let trusted security groups make new workspaces.
Give people clear roles like Admin, Member, Contributor, and Viewer. This helps control who can see, change, or share things.
Use security groups to handle access in a simple way. Give users just the permissions they need. This keeps data safe.
Use Row-Level Security to limit what data people can see. Check permissions often to stop problems before they happen.
Share things safely with Power BI Service, apps, and Microsoft Teams. Do not share from your own personal workspace.
Create Secure Workspaces
When you set up secure Power BI environments, you start by making secure workspaces. You need to follow steps so only the right people can see your data and reports. This part will show you each step, like how to get to the admin portal and how to name your workspace.
Access Admin Portal
First, you need to open the Power BI Admin Portal to make secure workspaces. The portal lets you pick who can make, manage, and use workspaces. Here is what you do:
Go to the Power BI Online portal at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/
Open the "Settings" menu.
Pick "Admin portal" from the list.
In Tenant Settings, look for Developer Settings.
Turn on the "Allow service principals to use Power BI APIs" switch.
Set this for a certain security group.
Add the Power BI Portal security group you made before.
Click apply and wait for the changes. This can take up to one hour.
Tip: Always use security groups when you make secure workspaces. This helps you manage permissions as your company gets bigger.
Workspace Setup Steps
When you make secure workspaces, you must choose who can make them. If everyone can make workspaces, it can cause problems. Letting only a trusted group, like a Center of Excellence or power users, make workspaces helps you stay in control.
Make a security group for workspace creators. Give it a name like "Fabric Workspace Creators."
In the Power BI Admin Portal, change the tenant setting so only this group can make secure workspaces.
Make a simple way for users to ask for new workspaces. Ask for things like workspace name, description, audience, and admin contacts.
You can use tools like Microsoft Power Apps or the Power BI REST API to make workspace requests faster and safer.
Note: Letting only a security group make workspaces helps keep your data safe. It also helps you give people only the access they need.
Naming and Description
Clear names and descriptions help everyone know what each workspace is for. When you make secure workspaces, always use easy-to-understand names and good descriptions.
When you make secure workspaces, remember they are private at first. Only people or groups you add can use them. The table below shows the roles and what they can do in a workspace:
The person who makes secure workspaces becomes the Admin.
You must add other users or security groups to let them in.
Contributors cannot share content or give access to others.
Important: Do not share reports from "My Workspace." Always make secure workspaces for team projects. This keeps your data safe and under control.
Security groups make it easier to give access. Give permissions to the group instead of each user. This matches your company’s setup and helps teams work together. Security groups also help you give people only the access they need.
To sum up, when you make secure workspaces:
Use the Admin Portal to control who can make them.
Let only a trusted security group make workspaces.
Always use clear names and descriptions.
Remember workspaces are private at first.
Use security groups to manage access easily.
By doing these steps, you build a strong base for secure and well-managed Power BI environments.
Manage User Roles
Role Types
It is important to know about user roles in Power BI workspaces. Each role lets people do different things. The table below shows what each role can do:
Tip: Give each user the lowest role they need. This helps keep your data safe.
Assign Roles
You can give roles to users or groups when you set up a workspace. Here are the steps to give the right access:
Type the user's email or pick a security group.
Choose the role: Viewer, Contributor, Member, or Admin.
Add the user or group to the workspace.
It is better to use security groups instead of adding users one by one. This makes it easier to manage permissions as your team gets bigger. Many people have trouble telling Member and Contributor apart. Always check what each role does before you assign it.
Edit or Remove Roles
You should check and update user roles often to keep your workspace safe. Follow these best practices:
Use Azure Active Directory (AAD) security groups to make management easier.
Change a user's role by picking their name and choosing a new role.
Remove users who do not need access anymore.
Check user access often to find risks.
Give users only the permissions they need.
Use single sign-on (SSO) for safer logins.
Regular checks help you find mistakes and keep your data safe.
Set Permissions and Data Access
Row-Level Security
You can keep important data safe in Power BI with Row-Level Security (RLS). RLS lets you pick what data each user can see. You set up filters for each role, so people only see what matches their job. This way, users only get the data they need. It helps stop people from seeing things they should not.
Make clear role levels that fit your company’s setup.
Use DAX filters like
USERPRINCIPALNAME()to give each person the right data.Try out your RLS setup with “View as Role” in Power BI Desktop and “Test as role” in Power BI Service.
Connect roles to Azure Active Directory groups for easy changes.
Write down your filter rules and keep records for checking later.
Tip: RLS lets you use one report for many groups. This makes things easier and helps keep data private.
Data Source Permissions
You must decide who can use your data sources. Give people only the access they need for their work. Always use the least amount of access needed.
Limit outside and guest access. Check their permissions a lot.
Set up data gateways for safe links to on-premises sources.
Handle OAuth permissions for cloud sources to control who can agree.
Set up workspaces with privacy settings and careful sharing.
Watch what users do to find anything strange.
Note: Never use “Publish to Web” for important data. This skips login steps and can show your data to anyone.
Dataset Access
You can control dataset access by using different workspaces for datasets and reports. This helps stop mistakes and keeps your data safe.
Use special workspaces for datasets to manage them in one place.
Only let trusted users or groups build with your data.
Share reports with Power BI Apps for better control.
Check for extra copies of datasets and keep just one main version.
Write down your access rules and teach workspace admins.
Using different workspaces for building, testing, and real use helps you control who can see or change data at each step.
If you follow these steps, your data will be safer. You will also make Power BI work better for your team.
Secure Sharing and Collaboration
Share Content
You can share Power BI dashboards and reports in safe ways. Use the Power BI Service to share with people at your company or with certain users. Give permissions like Read, Reshare, or Build to control what others can do. You can also share in Microsoft Teams channels for teamwork. Publishing apps lets you give dashboards and reports to big groups. These groups get read-only access unless you let them build.
Tip: Always check the Manage Permissions pane to see who can view, reshare, or build with your content. Take away access from people who do not need it anymore.
External Access
Sometimes you need to share reports with people outside your company. Use Microsoft Entra B2B guest accounts for safe sharing. Make guests sign in and use Row-Level Security so they only see their own data. Do not share from personal workspaces because you could lose control if the owner leaves. Move important content to regular workspaces and use apps to share with guests.
Note: Only invite guests if you really need to. Watch what outside users do and turn off guest access if you do not need it.
Security Groups
Security groups help you give access to many users at once. Add security groups to workspace roles like Viewer, Contributor, or Member. This makes it easy to add or remove people without changing each person’s permissions. Admins make security groups in the Power BI admin portal and add them to workspaces. Only people in these groups get the right permissions.
Use security groups for workspace roles to make access simple.
Give roles based on what people do: Viewer for looking, Contributor for building, Member for managing dataflows.
Change group members when teams change.
Using security groups helps keep things safe and makes working together easier.
Best Practices and Monitoring
Least Privilege
Always give users only the access they need. Do not give more access than needed. Think of it like giving keys to just the right doors. Do not give a master key to everyone. This keeps your data safe. It helps you follow rules and lowers the chance of mistakes. Assign workspace roles with care. Only let people work on projects if they need to. Use Row-Level Security (RLS) and Object-Level Security (OLS) to control what users see. These tools help people do their jobs without seeing private data.
Review Permissions
Check permissions often to keep things safe. Look at who can use each workspace and dataset. Remove users who do not need access anymore. Use security groups to make this easier. Regular checks help you find risks and stop too much access. Power BI’s Usage Metrics Reports and Admin Monitoring workspace show who uses reports. The Power BI REST API helps you track details for audits. These tools help you keep your Power BI safe and follow the rules.
Documentation
Good documentation helps you keep track of changes.
Follow these steps:
Use version control like SharePoint, OneDrive, or Git to track changes.
Keep files that explain the workspace’s purpose, owner, and permissions.
Set alerts for changes to important files.
Make sure each storage place matches your workspace needs.
Use check-in and check-out to stop conflicts.
Back up content and keep version history.
Track object changes and use pull requests for review.
Keep your repository neat with configuration files.
Merge changes with pull requests to follow standards.
Use Teams document libraries for better teamwork.
Audit Logs and MFA
Audit logs and multi-factor authentication (MFA) help keep your data safe. Audit logs let you watch what users do and spot strange actions. You get alerts for important events. Security teams use logs to find odd patterns, like big data exports or permission changes. MFA adds another step to prove who you are. This makes it harder for someone to break in with a weak password. Use MFA with role-based access and Single Sign-On (SSO) for strong protection. Check audit logs and roles often to catch problems early and follow rules like GDPR and HIPAA.
Tip: Encrypt your data when stored and when sent. Test your security settings with Power BI’s “View As Roles” and “Test as role” features to make sure everything works.
You can make Power BI workspaces safe by doing these things: First, make a new workspace and give it a special name. Next, set up the workspace settings and add contact people. Use roles and security groups to control who gets in. Let contributors update apps when needed. Give Premium capacity if you want better speed. Connect to advanced storage if your team needs it. Check who can use your workspaces often. Watch activity logs to see what is happening. Audit permissions to make sure only the right people have access. Keep your documents up to date and teach your team about new security tools. These steps help keep your data safe and help your team work well together.
FAQ
How do you add users to a Power BI workspace securely?
First, open the workspace and go to "Access." Add users or security groups there. Give each person a role that fits their job. Using security groups makes things easier. It also helps you control who gets in.
What is the best way to review workspace permissions?
Look at the "Manage Permissions" pane in Power BI. Take out users who do not need access anymore. Security groups make updates simple. Plan to check permissions often to keep data safe.
Can you share Power BI reports with people outside your company?
You can share with people outside by inviting them as guests. Use Microsoft Entra B2B for this. Always set Row-Level Security and limit what guests can do. Never share important data from personal workspaces.
Why should you use security groups instead of individual users?
Security groups let you give access to many people at once. This saves time and helps stop mistakes. Groups fit your company’s setup and make changes easy.
What steps help you monitor workspace activity?
Use audit logs and Usage Metrics Reports in Power BI. Set alerts for anything strange. Check logs often to find risks and keep workspaces safe.