Microsoft SharePoint has been used extensively for storing business data as well as extending collaboration between partners, employees and clients. Sensitive data is assessed regularly and there are other threats too — both internal and external! That is why it is imperative for business houses to manage and invest in the protection and organization of important data.

What threats have to be considered?

There are threats to useful business data and content and the backups. Then there is server side security to be considered as SharePoint is a web based platform. These threats to the data can come from external attackers or even insiders e.g. administrators. Sensitive information can be lost due to stolen laptops or access by hackers. Understanding the entry points that can expose data and securing the infrastructure is also equally important.

However, such content protection must be easy and scalable at the same time promoting adequate security. Client-side security has to be devised against malicious users who may intend to copy data to unauthorised devices. So, a comprehensive end-to-end security strategy is needed for your organization to deal with expensive data breaches which in turn is harmful for your brand image as well.

The good news is that various versions of SharePoint have been launched with improved security standards such that collaboration within and even outside the organization has become easy.

Beefing Up the Security

Working together online, sharing resources and writing or editing documents has been possible using SharePoint online. What if Sensitive information about your customers such as customer lists, financial information, business plans, Human Resource information etc. is shared? Security and information governance challenges faced by SharePoint sites have to be addressed.

Following are few ways which can be implemented for better security of your data:

• Access rights must pertain to business requirements only.

• Adherence to data compliance policies. Native Data should be filtered with information about type of data, department etc. Classification of data should be done before allowing access.

• Security concerns must be attended in real time by proper monitoring. Inspection of SharePoint files storage.

• Web Application Firewall (WAF) technology is required.

• Take precautions during data migration.

• Understanding threat to data from administrators is essential. This is because native platform controls are simple for a farm or site administrator to thwart.

• Preventing leakage of information during download or during violation of access controls. Complying with internal protocols and regulatory guidelines must be mandatory.

• A balance should be created between ease of access and safe utilization of this platform. For instance, user authentication, access control, encryption and audit logging are few ways in which the SharePoint assets can be utilized without hampering security measures.

• There must be platform level backups of all SharePoint assets — be it on-premises or in the cloud, for full platform recovery.

• Uninterrupted SharePoint platform accessibility must be ensured with one-switch failover to stand-by content, in case of network failure or disaster etc.

• Content must be duly scanned before upload in order to protect SharePoint from inapt or non-compliant content. Periodic scanning would also ensure adequate policy compliance.

Conclusion

The use of Microsoft SharePoint as a potential tool for enhanced team collaboration and enterprise content management cannot be overlooked. However, proper measures, as mentioned above, have to be adhered to and streamlined for protecting content, customizations and SharePoint sites whether they are on-premise, in the cloud or across hybrid environments.