One of the most powerful features of Microsoft 365 is the ability to share content with people outside of your organization. However, this feature also comes with a number of challenges that need to be considered before turning on external sharing for your tenant. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the three biggest challenges of external sharing in Microsoft 365 and how you can overcome them.
The first challenge is managing user permissions. When you enable external sharing, you’re giving users the ability to share content with people who are not in your organization. This means that you need to have a process in place for managing user permissions. Otherwise, you could end up with sensitive company information being shared publicly.
The second challenge is protecting your data. When you allow users to share content externally, there’s always the risk that sensitive data could be leaked. For example, if a user accidentally shares a document that contains confidential information with someone outside of your organization, there’s nothing stopping that person from leaking the information. To protect your data, it’s important to have a data leak prevention strategy in place. This should include both technical controls (like Azure Information Protection) and governance policies (like acceptable use policies).
The third challenge is ensuring compliance. When you enable external sharing, you need to make sure that all users understand and comply with your organization’s compliance requirements. For example, if you’re subject to GDPR, then all users who share content externally need to be aware of and comply with the requirements around personal data protection. Failure to do so could result in hefty fines for your organization.
Conclusion:
External sharing is a valuable feature of Microsoft 365 but it comes with some challenges that need to be considered before turning it on for your tenant. By understanding the three biggest challenges of external sharing and taking steps to overcome them, you can enable external sharing for your tenant while still keeping your data safe and compliant.
