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Power BI: Building Fort Knox for Your Data and Making Privacy Regulations Less Boring!
Oct 30, 2023
Get ready to fortify your data fortress with Power BI! In this hilarious guide, we'll show you how to build a robust and secure architecture that will make even the sneakiest hackers break a sweat. Discover the secrets to securing data in transit and at rest while making privacy regulations feel less daunting and more amusing. Join us on this comical journey as we navigate through the world of Power BI and turn security and compliance into a barrel of laughs!
Software Architecture Conference 2023 (https://softwarearchitecture.live/)
#SoftwareArchitectureConf23 #CSharpTV #csharpcorner
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Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this session about
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building Fort Knox for your data and making privacy regulations less boring
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Today we're going to explore the fascinating world of data, privacy of course, and the powerful role Power BI plays in securing and managing our data
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Welcome. So, the challenge today. In today's, let's say, interconnected digital landscape, data is often referred to, let's say, as the new currency
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It's not just a catchphrase, it's an acknowledgement of the central role that data plays in our modern economy
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Whether it's personal information, of course, or used by marketers, for example, to tailor advertisements or confidential business intelligence that drives corporate strategies
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So we see that data drives decision-making, innovation and growth. However, as data becomes more integral for our lives and businesses
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the challenges associated with managing and protecting these pre-seals like assets have grown exponentially
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And the concerns are always regarding data privacy and security. So they are manifold and they are affecting, let's say, virtually everyone in our society
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So moving to the next slide. It's like after consulting, I spent like too much time to gather information because some government like articles, publications, cybersecurity firms
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reports, industry, even association or even reportable research organizations. So I had like reports from cybersecurity companies like Symantec, McPhee, Trend Micro
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also publication from different government agencies responsible for cybersecurity
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such as the US Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency. Sorry, I have my braces done like a few days ago
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Research and insights, of course, from industrial associations in like the cybersecurity collation of the information systems
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which is called ISA. of course Gartner, Faustner, and many, many academic research from many universities. So
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it has been like a long month for me reading, reading, reading to understand
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the efforts behind Power BI when it comes to data privacy and how it's connected to the
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architecture because it's not, when we say Power BI, it's not only developers or architects or
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who are delivering this tool. It's like many roles involved. So I suppose you know this, the song and I had the magic
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And so, and here, as I was mentioning, where Power BI comes into the picture
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So as a leading business ytics tool, of course, He helped us not only visualizing our data, but also ensuring its security and compliance with privacy laws
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So let's develop into how. Okay. So Power BI is a revolutionary-like tool
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the way and the impact we can see it on the way organizations approach data management and
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decision making, of course. So with its, let's say, robust set of features, it cannot only allow for
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real-time data, visuals, or ysis, but also ensures that data is secure, organized
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compliant with various regulations. So we can connect to a wide array of data sources, transform raw data into meaningful
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insights, but in reality, we are not seeing. It's like all we see is like the emerging part of the iceberg, but behind there are like many, many efforts for that
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So what's the like? But what is the question is, what's the architecture behind the intersection
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This is how like when we talk about the regulations, compliance and architecture
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So the nexus between the architecture and the security is whether the elegance of Power BI design meets the fortress of its protection mechanisms by like, let's say, marrying well-engineered architectural foundations with state-of-the-art security measures
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So Power BI delivers, it becomes a platform that's not only efficient and adaptable, but also secure and resilient
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The architecture. So mainly Power BI is built, like the service and platform on Azure
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So Microsoft, we know all Azure since it's the Microsoft Cloud computing infrastructure and platform
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The architecture of Power BI service is based on two clusters. We have the web front end WFE cluster, which manages the initial connection and authentication to the Power BI service
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And the second is the backend cluster. cluster So once you are authenticated the backend handles all let say the subsequent user interactions
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Power BI here is going to use the Active Directory to store
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and manage user identities. Of course, Azure Active Directory manages data storage, and metadata using Azure Blood
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Not only that, Azure SQL Database respectively. If we dig deeper
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the Webfront cluster, so it's let's say is instrumental since it's
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managing the initial interaction between a user's browser and the content needed to render a site
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such as Power BI, for example, service hosted on Azure. With this cluster specifically
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there is an ASP.NET website operating in the Azure App Service environment
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having the role as processing user requests. I'm a user, I attempt to connect
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My DNS like service engages with, let's say, Azure Traffic Manager. It's employing the performance traffic routing method to what
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to locate the most geographically suitable data center, hosting the Power BI resources
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It's all related. This will ensure what optimal performance when it comes to
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and of course, lower latency for me as a user, The use of what we call the Azure Content Delivery Network
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the CDN, for example, hosting static resources like JavaScript files, CSS style sheets
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images further which can help augment or increasing the site's loading efficiency
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But what is also always the architecture behind is the same question
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Maybe I'm talking too much technically, and I always try to repeat the same thing
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That if today we have many, it happened with me a lot, many clients
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many people that asked the same question, is Power BI really secure
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I always say that you are seeing only the emerging part of the iceberg. You don't need to, as for example, especially for consumer, direct consumers of the
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reports. You don't see it, how it's managed in the background. Even for implementing, and we
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were going to see that, for implementing such features, it's like, I'm not going to say small
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configuration or a basic one, but it's not even reaching the average compared to the effort behind
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all the teams working on Power BI. The backend here, the backend cluster in Power BI is a vital
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element that handles all the core functionalities and data, let's say, processing requirements of the systems. So it's complex and well orchestrated like setup compromising
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various components such as service endpoints, background working services, databases, caches
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etc. So the structure is designated or designed to be scalable both horizontally and vertically
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So accommodating what? Accommodating the growth and robust performance needs. Hosted, and of course it's hosted across multiple Azure regions
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So it offers them flexibility to deploy in new regions as they come online
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So when the scaling limits a single cluster, like the outreach for example
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the system can expand into one or more backend-like clusters within the same Azure region
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This architecture ensures that the Power BI service can continue to grow and adapt
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providing consistent and efficient service to its users. How Power BI is making privacy regulation less boring
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The approach main need to privacy regulation like Power BI approach represents, like I
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said many times, the emerging part of the iceberg for regulations. So, first, by providing user-friendly compliance tools, data classification, road-based security
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auditing, integration, education, customization, and secure even embedding. So it's helping us to make the privacy regulation less bureaucratic and more engaging, of course
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I took some features because there are many features and sometimes they are complex for some audiences, of course, with us
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So, some of them, like the one listed here, simplify the complex world of compliance
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And, of course, turning it into accessible and visually appealing experience. While we cannot forget to mention like GDPR is one of the regulations reflecting like, let's say, border commitment to support organization in navigating what we call the complex landscape of data privacy and security
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Power BI remains in my opinion with its capabilities not only it signaling a trend toward making compliance not just a checkbox activity and I betting on that like an integral and less tedious part of business operations
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So the product team behind Power BI to provide, let's say, an end-to-end solution for protecting
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like sensitive assets. We say assets, it's not only data. So they needed to address like
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challenging customer concern on multiple fronts, like many questions. How do we control who can
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connect where they are from and how they connect? How can we control the connections? So maybe how
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These are even many questions I receive every day. How is the data stored
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Is it encrypted or not? What controls do I have on my data
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What else? How do I control and protect my sensitive data? How do I ensure that there is no..
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like this data can't leak outside the organizations, et cetera. So believe me, it's my daily routine
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Like, yeah, so as I already talked about some features implemented in Power BI
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The famous row-level security or row-based security, which is implemented through row-level security
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So it's sophisticated, very sophisticated mechanism that restricts data access to, let's say, at the row level, based on predefined roles or groups
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like we can create customizable security layers at the very core of the data
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And here, the real role of RLS is transforming Power BI into a fortress that is adaptable to diverse organizational needs and challenges
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When a user accesses a report or dashboard, Power BI dynamically evaluates their role and applies, let's say, the corresponding security filters and ensuring that they only see the data they are authorized to view
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That's it. Another feature is the object level security, which enables, let's say, the model
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authors to secure specific tables or columns from like report views. For example, a column that is
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that includes, for example, personal data can be restricted so that only certain viewers can see
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For example, for HR departments, they have the right to access personal data, for example
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for the payslips, etc. So we make sure with the OLS that these certain viewers will see and interact with these data
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only them. So in addition of that, we can restrict names, metadata
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So these added like, I'm considering it as a layer of security preventing who
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Preventing like users without the appropriate access levels from discovering especially business critical or sensitive personal information or even some business rules and requirements
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So the data encryption, which is considered as a dual layered security measure
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So it ensures that the data is protected both when at rest, the stationary like status or when being transmitted or received like in transit
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So for I call it data in motion. So Power BI here uses what we call the SSL, the secure socket layer, or TLS, which is the transport layer security protocols, which creates an encrypted link between the server and the client and prevents unauthorized interception of the information
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When it comes, like, for example, to data at rest, the advanced, let's say, encryption standards is employed
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One of the most, we know it's one of the most secure encryption models available
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So it encrypts the data on the server and making it readable, making it unreadable without the proper decryption team
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So this means that even if someone were, let's say, to gain unauthorized access to the storage where the data resides, they would be enabled to interpret the decryption key
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Data, like, let's say, data classification and compliance. So since the data varies and the teams behind Power BI, they understood the varies, like data varies not specifically in sensitivity and regulatory requirements
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So this feature enabled like organizations to tag and classify data based on its nature
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So whether it's personal identification information or financial records or other forms of data, we have what we call this kind of classification tool to allow for precise categorization
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So this is kind of granularity. It's not only an organizational-like advantage, but it's
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a pathway in my opinion to compliance The identity and access management is a robust and security mechanism focused on ensuring
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that only the right individuals have access to specific data resources. So it's not just about restricting access
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it's about precisely managing roles, permissions, authentication protocols within the organization. Last, secure like sharing and collaboration
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It's a need. It's recognized by Power BI as a need, and they innovated lots
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It's a suite of features that enable us to secure sharing, collaborating on data-driven project
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whether it's within, let's say, a team across different departments, even with external stakeholders
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we ensure that data in the reports and dashboard can be shared with confidence
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So yeah, I know I've been very, very excited about that. So we need to know that we are all concerned
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So I always say that and many people agree on that, experts and people working on the security
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and the regulation and the compliance for data. Education and guidance within Power BI play
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I call it a pivotal role in making privacy regulations more accessible and intimidating and less
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And sorry, less intimidating. So how? By offering comprehensive documentation. That's the first point, the tutorials and guides
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And of course, the community, so big shout to the Power BI community, which is now Microsoft Fabric community
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Many, many people are there every day to assist you, including me
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So it's free advertising. Sorry for that. So like the Microsoft excels in that
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and the Power BI educational, this educational approach, in my opinion, fosters a more informed and let's say proactive
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attitudes toward compliance. You're not alone. Why? This is like a small, like, let's say I defined the people working behind that tool because it's going beyond that technical profiles
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We have compliance experts like professionals collaborating with Microsoft, who are specialized
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in privacy laws and regulations, such as for example, the GDPR, the case of Europe
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They are responsible for ensuring that the guidance provided by this architecture
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is in line with the current legal landscape. We have technical rights and
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content creators. They work to translate. If you go, for example, to Microsoft Learn today
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you will see that many, many profiles work to translate the complex legal and technical
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concepts. Just imagine that inside, like within the teams working on Power BI and then publishing
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every single detail about it. So, and we have the instructional designers
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who are helping to develop interactive training modules or webinars. So they are focusing even on effective educational techniques
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to combi, let's say, complex information in a digestible way. because Power BI, as we all know, it's not only for technical, IT technical, at least backgrounds
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it's for everyone. Who also? Product managers and developers, of course, big shout to them
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especially with a monthly update, things can go crazy and with the ideas and with the support team
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behind of course they would ensure that the platform's feature are aligning are aligned with
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the privacy regulations so even when they code they need to be aware that what they are going
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to deliver those lines thousands of lines of codes are aligned with the privacy regulations
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and their first aim always aims to collaborate on creating educational resources, of course
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and guides in leveraging this feature. We have legal councils similar to the compliance experts
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and of course the customer support and community managers, the security and privacy officers
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So I was fascinated when I read about this, when I tried to gather the information
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I thought like in many, many people, let's say that the thoughts were simple
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It's just the product like any other product, but no, it's not, it's beyond that
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It's like, I say it again, we are seeing only the emerging part of Power BI
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So please, when you use Power BI, try, and of course you have an idea about creating
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let's say a sophisticated button. I know just think about the effort all people are doing
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the effort like done by all these people and think, is Power BI here as a product
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as a product for highly sophisticated visuals. We understand it's a powerful platform
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and they are still working on the graphical parts. So, yeah. Thank you very much
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