Microsoft 365 makes sharing so convenient it can quickly get out of control. Most organizations have no idea what their users are sharing or with whom, putting company data at risk. Learn how to regain control of shared content with access reviews for M365.
Cloud collaboration has become a cornerstone of the modern workplace. Millions of companies rely on platforms like Microsoft 365 to enable seamless sharing for their staff. Microsoft Teams alone counts 320 million active users worldwide: a figure that comes close to the entire US population.
It’s easy to see what makes cloud suites so appealing. Send a presentation to your coworker and discuss their feedback. Hop on a video call with your team and drop the updated slide deck in the meeting chat – all while making lunch plans over Teams. It’s never been easier to share documents on the fly.
The problem with making sharing so convenient for end users is that it’s impossible for security teams to keep up. With hundreds of users sending links and inviting guests, organizations quickly lose track of what their employees are sharing.
Cloud suites empower your staff to make decisions about access without any oversight from IT or security teams: Just click “Share” and tag in coworkers, business partners, contractors or anyone you feel like.
Oversharing: When cloud access goes too far
Without suitable guardrails, the use of cloud suites like Microsoft 365 leads to oversharing: Content that is shared longer than necessary or with more people than actually need it.
Whether this happens due to carelessness or is done with malicious intent, oversharing is a massive security risk that leaves cloud documents exposed and sensitive data vulnerable to theft, leaks, or breaches.
Problematic sharing often starts out innocent, with access that serves a clear business purpose but goes unchecked for too long. Here are just some examples of what oversharing can look like in practice. Perhaps you recognize similar scenarios from your own workplace.
What oversharing in Microsoft 365 looks like:
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