Support Encrypted Sensitivity-Labeled Excel Files in Power Query

Description

Currently, Power Query Online and Power Query in Excel are unable to access encrypted Excel files. Excel files with sensitivity types other than Public or Non-Business can be encrypted and therefore cannot be accessed through Power Query Online or Power Query in Excel.

We would like to request support for accessing and processing sensitivity-labeled encrypted Excel files through Power Query while honoring the security and access permissions associated with the sensitivity label.

Business Impact

Organizations increasingly use sensitivity labels and encryption to protect business-critical and confidential information. At the same time, these Excel files may need to be used as data sources for reporting, analytics, and data transformation scenarios.

The current limitation can prevent customers from using protected Excel files directly with Power Query Online or Power Query in Excel, requiring them to reconsider either their data protection approach or their Power Query workflow.

Feature Request

Please consider enabling Power Query Online and Power Query in Excel to:

• Authenticate authorized users when accessing sensitivity-labeled encrypted Excel files.
• Access encrypted Excel files when the signed-in user has appropriate permissions.
• Honor the sensitivity label, encryption, and associated access controls while processing the workbook.
• Provide Power Query functionality without requiring customers to remove or downgrade the sensitivity protection applied to the source Excel file.

This enhancement would help organizations maintain their information protection requirements while continuing to use Power Query for their data transformation and analytics needs.