Strengthening Your Organisation’s Defences with SharePoint's Security Features
With data security and regulatory compliance becoming top concerns for businesses, today’s blog explores the importance of balancing seamless collaboration with robust security using SharePoint’s built-in capabilities for data protection.
)
In today’s digital workspace, SharePoint has emerged as one of the leading collaboration platforms to support hybrid and remote working. With so many workplaces relying on digital collaboration today, it is important to remember that with higher levels of collaboration comes a greater need for governance and security. Often, lurking in the shadows are vulnerabilities such as uncontrolled site sharing, data loss or external sharing to untrusted domains.
With cyberattacks targeting Europe more than any other region—accounting for 32% of global incidents in 2023—businesses across Ireland and the continent face increasing risk. The average cost of a data breach in Ireland reached €3.8 million in 2023, emphasizing the need for effective governance and security solutions.
A secure, well-governed environment ensures continuity, mitigates risks and upholds stakeholders trust. SharePoint, a cornerstone solution for enterprise collaboration, offers many built-in tools to help protect sensitive data and adhere to regulations like GDPR, all while enabling effective collaboration.
Key SharePoint Governance & Security Features
Below we explore some of the key SharePoint governance and security features and what they mean for your organisation.
Sensitivity Labels
Sensitivity labels allow organisations to classify documents and apply appropriate security measures based on their sensitivity. Admins can configure labels such as ‘Public’, ‘Internal’ or ‘Confidential’. Once applied, labels can automatically enforce actions such as encryption, watermarking and restrictions on editing, sharing or printing. For example, a legal document marked as ‘Confidential’ can be encrypted, with sharing limited to authorised team members and any attempts to forward the document can trigger alerts or be blocked entirely.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
SharePoint’s DLP capabilities help organisations identify, monitor and protect sensitive data from being accidentally shared or leaked. Using prebuilt or custom policies, admins can define sensitive data types such as personal identifiers or bank account information. SharePoint scans files to detect sensitive data and takes predefined actions such as notifying the user or blocking sharing. For example, a policy can be set up to detect and block the sharing of files that contain bank account details, ensuring compliance with GDPR and other financial regulations.
Retention Policies
Retention policies help organisations manage the content lifecycle in line with compliance regulations. Organisations can set up policies that can be applied at a site, library or file level. Options include retaining files for a specific period, preventing deletion during the set retention period and automatically deleting files after the retention period ends. For example, certain HR files can be retained for several years in line with regulations and then are automatically deleted to reduce storage and mitigate data security risks.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA adds an extra layer of security to SharePoint by requiring users to provide additional verification steps (such as a code from a mobile device) to access SharePoint. This is enabled by Azure Active Directory and can be enforced for all users or selectively applied to high-risk accounts or access attempts for untrusted locations. For example, employees logging in from a public Wi-Fi network are required to authenticate using a mobile app code in addition to their password, reducing the risk of unauthorised access.
Access & Guest Management
SharePoint’s access management ensures that only authorized users can access content, while guest management securely facilitates external collaboration. Admins can assign roles (eg. viewer, editor, admin), set access at the site or file level and enable guest access for external users with specific limitations. For example, a project site can be configured so that internal employees can edit content while external contractors can only view specific documents for the duration of the project.
Auditing & Monitoring
SharePoint’s auditing tools provide a detailed view of user activity, helping organisations track changes, monitor access and identify suspicious behaviour. Audit logs record actions like file downloads, permission changes and access attempts and can be retrieved through the M365 Compliance Centre. For example, this can be useful if an admin identifies an unusual spike in file downloads by a single user, triggering an investigation into possible insider threats or compromised credentials.
SharePoint’s built-in features empower organisations to safeguard their data while enabling collaboration and compliance, providing a strong foundation for data security and governance. For organisations looking to add more advanced functionality, tools like SharePoint Premium and Microsoft Purview can provide optional enhancements including advanced auditing, compliance workflows, and improved analytics.
If your business would like to learn more about how to optimise your SharePoint environment, check out our previous blog 'Unlock Productivity with SharePoint: Must-Know Features for your Team' or get in touch to speak to one of our experts.
)
)
)