Managing Microsoft Teams effectively requires you to have a good grasp of how to configure SharePoint and OneDrive organizational level sharing settings. SharePoint and OneDrive are vital collaboration tools within the Teams ecosystem, and incorrect configuration can limit their functionality and impact productivity. This article will guide you through the process.
Understanding Organizational-Level Sharing Settings
Organizational-level sharing settings in SharePoint and OneDrive provide an avenue to control how users in your organization can share content. These settings define the maximum access that users in your organization can grant when they share. In essence, they can never share more permissively than what these settings specify.
Configuring Organizational-Level Sharing Settings for SharePoint Online
Configuring sharing settings in SharePoint Online is straightforward. Here is how you can do that:
- In the SharePoint admin center, go to Policies, and then Sharing.
- Check the External sharing section. This dictates the overall external sharing settings for your organization.
- For SharePoint, you’ll see three levels of sharing, each providing a higher level of access. They include:
- Anyone: This setting allows users to share links with anyone, including externals.
- New and existing guests: Limit sharing to guests already in your organization’s directory.
- Only people in your organization: This restricts all sharing to within your organization only.
Make your selection based on what suits your organization’s sharing policies.
Configuring Organizational-Level Sharing Settings for OneDrive
In OneDrive, the steps to configure sharing settings are similar:
- In the SharePoint admin center, navigate to Policies, then Sharing.
- Look for the OneDrive external sharing section. This sets the general external sharing settings for all of OneDrive.
- Just like in SharePoint, you will see the same three settings in OneDrive: Anyone, New and existing guests, and Only people in your organization.
Keep in mind that, when setting up sharing permissions, SharePoint and OneDrive settings can be different. You might want to set stricter controls for OneDrive as it’s typically used for individual work, while SharePoint is often used for collaborative work.
Best Practices When Configuring SharePoint and OneDrive Organizational-Level Sharing Settings
Here are some best practices to take into consideration:
- Limit ‘Anyone’ links: Although ‘Anyone’ links can simplify sharing, they can pose a significant risk if mishandled. Use them sparingly and consider alternatives such as direct access or access with a Microsoft or organizational account.
- Regularly review settings: Periodically verify and update the external sharing settings at the organizational level in the SharePoint admin center.
- Contextual knowledge: Understanding initial default sharing links and how they can be changed is crucial. Defaults can be managed by the user, but they depend on the organizational-level setting (maximum permission level) that you set.
In conclusion, learning how to configure SharePoint and OneDrive organizational level sharing settings is a fundamental part of managing Microsoft Teams effectively. It allows your organization to only share the necessary information with the right set of people, thus maintaining the integrity and security of organizational information.
Practice Test
True or False: SharePoint and OneDrive can have the same organizational level sharing settings.
- Answer: True.
Explanation: Both SharePoint and OneDrive use similar settings for sharing at the organizational level. However, OneDrive uses the SharePoint sharing settings if they are not set separately.
Which of the following settings can be configured in SharePoint and OneDrive organizational level sharing settings?
- a) External sharing
- b) Direct syncing
- c) File locking
- d) Item-level permissions
Answer: a) External sharing and d) Item-level permissions.
Explanation: External sharing and item-level permissions are two settings which can be configured in SharePoint and OneDrive. Direct syncing and file locking are part of different functionalities and not specifically related to sharing settings.
True or False: OneDrive files can be shared with people outside your organization if the organizational level sharing settings allow it.
- Answer: True.
Explanation: This is true as long as the organizational level sharing settings on SharePoint (that OneDrive follows) are set to allow external sharing.
Which of the following are sharing settings that can be configured for OneDrive?
- a) Direct sharing with users outside organization
- b) Limiting sharing by department
- c) Sharing with security groups
- d) Sharing with anyone who has the shared link
Answer: a) Direct sharing with users outside organization and d) Sharing with anyone who has the shared link.
Explanation: OneDrive sharing settings allow direct sharing with users outside the organization and sharing with anyone who has the shared link.
True or False: SharePoint only allows sharing with users within the organization.
- Answer: False.
Explanation: SharePoint’s sharing settings can be configured to allow sharing with users outside the organization.
In SharePoint and OneDrive, how are default link type and permissions for a shared link selected?
- a) By the sharing user
- b) By the recipient
- c) By the system automatically
Answer: a) By the sharing user.
Explanation: The sharing user selects the default link type and permissions for a shared link in SharePoint and OneDrive.
True or False: In OneDrive, you can block sharing of specific file types.
- Answer: False.
Explanation: In OneDrive, you can’t block sharing of specific file types. Whereas, you can control how sharing occurs and who it can be shared with.
What security groups do SharePoint and OneDrive have for sharing?
- a) Only organizational security groups
- b) Only external security groups
- c) Both organizational and external security groups
Answer: c) Both organizational and external security groups.
Explanation: SharePoint and OneDrive support both organizational and external security groups for sharing settings.
True or False: SharePoint and OneDrive allow sharing with anonymous users.
- Answer: True.
Explanation: Anonymous sharing, which involves providing a link that anyone can access, regardless of whether they have a Microsoft account, is supported in both SharePoint and OneDrive.
What is the purpose of the OneDrive sharing policy?
- a) To control system updates
- b) To control who files can be shared with
- c) To control how files are synced
Answer: b) To control who files can be shared with.
Explanation: The OneDrive sharing policy controls who one can share files with, either within or outside the organization. It doesn’t control system updates or file syncing.
Interview Questions
What can you use to configure SharePoint and OneDrive sharing at the organizational level?
You can configure SharePoint and OneDrive sharing at the organizational level via the SharePoint admin center.
What is the maximum amount of external sharing days that can be set in an organizational level for SharePoint and OneDrive?
The maximum amount of external sharing days that can be set at the organizational level for SharePoint and OneDrive is 730 days.
Can SharePoint and OneDrive content be shared with people who do not have Microsoft 365 licenses in the organization?
Yes, SharePoint and OneDrive content can be shared with people outside the organization, even if they do not have Microsoft 365 licenses.
What is the purpose of the ‘Anyone’ SharePoint and OneDrive sharing setting?
The ‘Anyone’ setting allows files and folders to be shared with anyone, including people outside of your organization and without a Microsoft account.
What kind of link does ‘Anyone with the link’ sharing option provide in SharePoint and OneDrive?
‘Anyone with the link’ creates a link that can be used by anyone, and doesn’t require signing in.
How can users share SharePoint and OneDrive content with specific people?
Users can share SharePoint and OneDrive content with specific people using their email addresses. The recipients need to authenticate with a Microsoft account or a work or school account.
If SharePoint and OneDrive are set to allow sharing only with external users who already exist in your organization’s directory, what does it mean?
This setting means that sharing is limited to external users who have been previously invited to collaborate with your organization and are listed in the Azure Active Directory.
In terms of SharePoint and OneDrive organizational level settings, what is direct sharing?
Direct sharing is a way of sharing files or folders in SharePoint or OneDrive by sending a direct invitation to the recipient’s email address.
What settings can be used to limit the external sharing by domain in SharePoint and OneDrive?
In SharePoint admin center, you can set up a domain allow list or a domain block list to limit external sharing by domain in SharePoint and OneDrive.
What’s the usefulness of the ‘Links expire within’ setting in SharePoint and OneDrive?
The ‘Links expire within’ setting allows to set a specific number of days after which the shared links will stop working, thus improving data security.
Is it possible to block downloading shared files in SharePoint and OneDrive?
Yes, it is possible to block downloading of shared files to help prevent spread of sensitive information.
Can external users share items they do not own in SharePoint and OneDrive?
That depends on the organizational settings. If ‘Let external users share items they don’t own’ is turned off, external users cannot share items they do not own.
Can you manage the organization-level sharing settings for both SharePoint and OneDrive separately?
No, sharing settings are managed at the service level and any changes made will apply to both SharePoint and OneDrive.
How can you ensure that only people in your organization can open links shared from SharePoint or OneDrive?
You can ensure this by selecting the ‘Only people in your organization’ option when setting up the organizational sharing settings.
Which sharing level should be enabled to allow sharing of content with people in specific organizations in SharePoint and OneDrive?
For sharing with specific organizations, ‘New and existing guests’ or ‘Existing guests only’ option should be selected in the sharing settings.
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