When you share files and folders from OneDrive, it’s important to follow best practices to ensure security and efficiency. OneDrive is for the individual user so this is likely one place where you are sharing your some of your more private files.
Here are some key recommendations on sharing from OneDrive:
Set Permissions Carefully: Always assign the minimum necessary permissions. For example, if someone only needs to view a document, don't give them edit permissions.
A confirmation is displayed after sharing:
Use Expiration Dates - (Personal Accounts): Set expiration dates for shared links to limit access over time. This helps ensure that access is not indefinate.
This is a great option if you are using OneDrive for a personal account that is not associated with SMU. This option becomes available when you are sharing with the option for anyone who has the link. Since SMU does not allow Anyone - Users that don't require sign-in, this option does not appear in our O365 tenant. We require any guest accounts to authenticate with a verification code and they must re-authenticate after 30 days
Regularly Review Access: Periodically review who has access to your documents and revoke permissions that are no longer needed.
You can review who has access to files and folders you have shared on OneDrive and add or remove users from shared resources. Similarly, you can stop sharing completely.
This can be done in various places - both in OneDrive and in Office Applications. Here, access is reviewed directly from the word document using the online version of the application:
Access can be revoked for individual users:
Or, Sharing can simply be turned off:
One Drive is flexible in how it is able to present entry points to manage sharing and access to your documents and folders.
More information on how to share files and folders from OneDrive can be found in this video from Micrsoft Support:
Share files and folders in OneDrive
Avoid Sharing Sensitive Information
You should avoid sharing sensitive information when possible. Share only with those parties who have a legitimate business interest and use extreme caution when sharing with external users. When sharing sensitive data with third parties be sure you are doing so in compliance with organizational polices and use the SMU-Sensitive Data label in Office documents to ensure only intended recipients have the minimum required permission to file.