Sharing sensitive files temporarily using OneDrive
When the need arises to communicate sensitive information with external parties, Microsoft OneDrive can be used - rather than email. (See also NPU’s data classification and handling procedures.)
Best practices
Create a separate folder or folders for each instance sharing with people outside NPU
When you send the sharing link:
Share only with specific people instead of creating a link that anyone could use
Use the “view-only” sharing type unless you need to external party to make changes
Set a custom expiration date for the link, such as one week in the future.
Occasionally audit what files you are sharing by reviewing OneDrive’s “Shared > By you” page here:
https://vikingsnorthpark-my.sharepoint.com/shared
Step by Step process
Creating a new folder within your OneDrive called something like “External Sharing”
Inside the new folder, create one folder for each person you need to share documents with.
If there is more than one document, share the whole folder with them. If it is just one file, share just that file. (Just be careful not to share the entire “external sharing” folder with someone!
Right-click on a folder or file and select “Share”
A new dialog box pops up. In this step, specify the email address of the person, set view-only if appropriate, and set a custom expiration time for the link.
Screenshot showing an added email address:
Make sure the email address shows up in a “bubble” -sometimes OneDrive has to think about it for a moment before it shows it.
Then click the “gear” icon by the “copy link” button to get this pop-up:
Set “People you choose” (requires the person to verify their email before continuing.)
Set “more settings” to “Can view” so they don’t make changes or save new files back into your OneDrive.
Set a custom expiration for the link, such as one week in the future
press “Apply” (you can also return to this screen by hitting the “gear icon” again to double-check your work)
Returning to this screen, you can add a message for the person. You might want to write a nice introduction and save it somewhere so you can paste it in if you will be regularly sharing like this.
Use the “Send” button and hit send and it will email it for you. Otherwise you can use the “copy link” button and paste the link into an email and send it using Outlook.
Audit what files you are sharing with others
Keep track of what files you are currently sharing by logging into OneDrive and finding the “shared by you” section. Go into any shared link and “manage access” to find the place to delete a sharing link, which will stop the sharing.
direct link: