Custom visuals, like any other software, can contain malware code and steal data. To make Power BI users more secure, Microsoft set up a certification program for visuals developed by third-party vendors, such as OKVIZ.
The certification guarantees that the visual meets certain requirements like:
- Not calling external services except Power BI core services
- Not storing underlying data anywhere
- Not using insecure code and adhering to some coding standards
- Using the latest SDK API available
- Be published on the Microsoft marketplace (AppSource)
You can find all the requirements in the following article, although its target audience is developers and some terms/concepts may be a bit obscure to you: Get your Power BI visual certified
The certification is optional; vendors are not required to apply it to their visuals in order to be published in the marketplace (AppSource). Power BI visuals that aren’t certified, aren’t necessarily unsafe.
Certified Visuals
Here is a list of OKVIZ visuals that are certified:
- Bullet Chart
- Calendar Pro
- Candlestick
- Card with States
- Dot Plot
- Smart Filter (Free)
- Sparkline
- Synoptic Panel Lite
Uncertified Visuals
These OKVIZ visuals, instead, are not certified:
Limitations
Uncertified visuals have some limitations, compared to licensed visuals:
- Cannot be exported to PDF/Power Point files
- Cannot be included in email subscriptions for Power BI reports
These limitations mean that if, for example, you export a report containing an uncertified visual as a PDF, the canvas area where the visual should have appeared is replaced with this error placeholder:
Enabled Uncertified Visuals
Uncertified visuals may have been disabled in your organization; refer to this page to enable them: Enable Custom Visuals