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Summary
Protecting university data in SharePoint and OneDrive is a shared responsibility. By following established guidelines and being proactive about access and sharing, all members of the university community can help maintain data privacy, security, and compliance. These guidelines apply to all USNH faculty, staff, and students using SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business.
Content
Protecting Data with Thoughtful Sharing
With thousands of files shared across USNH each month, it’s important to remain mindful of what is being shared, with whom, and how. Taking a moment to review permissions and sharing methods helps protect sensitive information and supports responsible data stewardship. Before sharing files or sites, it’s important to define roles, assign responsibilities, and clearly communicate expectations to those managing shared resources. Resource owners should consider the full lifecycle of access:
- Who needs access?
- What level of access do they need?
- How long should access be available?
Define clear roles and responsibilities, especially for those managing collaborative resources. A well-planned approach to sharing reduces the need for cleanup later and helps avoid oversharing. Site and file owners are encouraged to:
- Provide basic training or guidance on how to access and use shared content.
- Monitor activity and storage to ensure the space is being used as intended.
- Audit permissions regularly to confirm they align with current collaboration needs.
- Use tools like SharePoint Sharing reports to identify oversharing or unused content.
USNH Sharing Defaults
To protect data while enabling collaboration, USNH uses different sharing defaults for SharePoint and OneDrive:
- OneDrive: Allows sharing with “Anyone with the link” anonymous sharing by default. Users are encouraged to set link expiration dates when using this option.
- SharePoint: USNH SharePoint sites are invite-only, and default to “Specific people” for sharing. If broader or anonymous access is needed (e.g., “Anyone with the link”), a request must be submitted to the SharePoint Admin team for review: Request Anonymous Sharing for SharePoint
Note: USNH SharePoint sites are part of the university’s internal intranet. While it’s possible to share content with specific external collaborators, SharePoint sites cannot be made publicly accessible for anonymous viewing (i.e., they cannot function as a public-facing website).
These settings are periodically reviewed and updated to align with USNH security and data governance standards.
Risk Awareness
Improper sharing practices—like sending out unrestricted or permanent links—can expose sensitive or confidential data. Ensuring links have expiration dates and using the least permissive settings by default helps reduce this risk.
Least Privilege Mindset
Always assign the minimum necessary permissions for a collaborator to do their work. Grant permissions only to those who need them, for as long as they need them. Use read-only access where appropriate and elevate permissions only when required for a person’s role.
Sensitivity Labels
For added protection, Sensitivity Labels can be applied to SharePoint sites and Teams to restrict access, limit sharing, and enforce compliance policies. Learn more about requesting a label for your site:
Regular Review
Make a habit of reviewing site access, shared links, and group membership. Remove outdated or unnecessary permissions to reduce risk. You can use built-in tools like Site Permissions, Access Reviews, or OneDrive’s Manage Access panel to assist in this process.
Additional Microsoft Resources
Set "Anyone" shared link expiration dates to prevent unauthorized access.
Share SharePoint files or folders following Microsoft Support guidelines.
Further Readings
SharePoint: Requesting a Sensitivity Label for your SharePoint Site
Microsoft Support - Share SharePoint files or folders
Microsoft Support - See who a file is shared within OneDrive or SharePoint
Microsoft Support - Stop sharing OneDrive or SharePoint files or folders, or change permissions
Need additional help?
For assistance concerning site creation, content sharing, file synchronization, or other common SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, or Office app activities, we recommend our Microsoft 365 Learning sites:
Learn more about the great tools our Microsoft 365 Learning sites offer!
Visit the Technology Help Desk Support page to locate your local campus contact information or to submit an online technology support request. For password issues you must call or visit the Help Desk in person.