How to use OneDrive for secure file transfer

The rising trend of teamwork and collaboration across organisations has created a high demand for secure file transfer tools.

Among those, Microsoft OneDrive is one of the most popular platforms that offer safe, always available and recoverable solutions.

This article explores the basics of OneDrive, the best practices for safeguarding your data, and a step-by-step guide for securely sharing files on OneDrive.

Table of contents

1. What is OneDrive?
2. Is OneDrive secure?
3. 5 ways to safeguard your data in OneDrive
4. Step-by-step to secure file sharing with OneDrive
5. Need help with file sharing solutions?

What is OneDrive?

Microsoft OneDrive is a cloud storage and file-sharing platform integrated into Microsoft 365 environments, ideal for individuals, teams, and organisations. It enables file access from anywhere and real-time collaboration, with the option to customise permissions and security settings for your specific compliance needs.

Files stored in OneDrive do not take up local hard drive storage since users can access files on demand anytime, anywhere. This facilitates remote working and allows users to view and interact with files without having to download them.

Integrating with Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive is designed to enable easy file sharing by centralising the storage of attachments so users can collaborate simultaneously without version-control issues.

Is OneDrive secure?

As a cloud-based service, OneDrive might raise privacy concerns among users as organisations’ data is stored on Microsoft’s servers. However, the platform is created and managed with a robust security system that ensures data is protected both in transit and at rest.

• Cloud encryption: Data is securely encrypted with multiple layers while at rest and transferring from clients to data centres or between data centres. This way, no unauthorised access is allowed.
• Physical protection: the data centres are high-security areas with cutting-edge intrusion detection systems. The encrypted content is also stored in a separate location from the keys used to encrypt them.
• Access controls: with a ‘zero-standing access’ policy, Microsoft engineers are only granted access to clients’ data in response to specific situations.
• Security features: the application comes with robust monitoring systems to scan and detect suspicious activities, ransomware and malware.
• Recovery capabilities: your data in OneDrive is recoverable within 30 days of deletion, overwrite, corruption or malware, as long as Microsoft services are still available.
  This protects your data against a wide range of scenarios, such as accidental deletion, natural disasters, and ransomware attacks.
  However, adopting a third-party backup solution is highly recommended as an additional safeguard third-party backup plan to protect your data in case of service discontinuation.

Rest assured that Microsoft is constantly auditing and improving its security systems and processes, so your data is safeguarded at all times.

5 ways to safeguard your data in OneDrive

If you want to fortify your data security in OneDrive and the Microsoft environment, there are several steps you can take:

1. Create a strong password: having a distinctive password that uses a mix of characters and avoids common phrases is a simple way to strengthen your account.
2. Provide security information: adding security information to your Microsoft account will make it easier to recover in case of a hack or a forgotten password. While it is helpful for personal accounts, security questions are not recommended for business environments. Instead, enterprises should rely on multi-factor authentication (MFA) and other robust security protocols.
3. Multi-factor authentication: by having an extra layer of authentication, preferably the Microsoft Authenticator app or hardware-based tokens, it is harder for unauthorised devices to access your account.
4. Encryption on mobile devices: if you use the OneDrive application on mobile, turning on the encryption functionality will help protect and recover your data when the device access is compromised.
5. Operating system updates: make sure your system is up to date. Software updates improve the system’s security and performance, protecting your devices from unpatched vulnerabilities.

These are simple ways you could do by yourself to secure your Microsoft account and OneDrive data. However, there are more advanced protections when you subscribe to Microsoft 365, such as email encryption and password-protected links. It is recommended that you seek guidance from an IT expert before implementing these options.

Step-by-step to secure file sharing with OneDrive

Sharing a file or folder in OneDrive is easy and straightforward. In some cases, for security reasons this feature may be blocked. Make sure to consult your IT provider before moving forward.

Step 1: Select the file or folder you want to share

• Open OneDrive through office.com or you can access your OneDrive files by simply using File Explorer on your computer.
• Right-click on the file or folder you want to share, then click on ‘Share’ in the menu.

Step 2: Choose the recipient

• Type the email address of the recipient or choose from the drop-down list of contacts saved in your account. Make  sure your Microsoft settings are configured to prevent the link from defaulting to an anonymous sharing option, as this could pose as a security risk to the recipient.

• Next, click on the pencil icon next to the email address field to set up their editing permissions.

• You can add a message to the recipients along with the file.

Step 3: Share the link

• Send the file or folder by clicking ‘Send’ button

• Or you could share the files through Outlook by ‘More options’ in the top right, then click ‘Send in Outlook’. The email will be drafted accordingly to the information you have provided in the previous steps, together with the link to the file.

Step 4: Manage access

• To manage access to your shared files, go to ‘Shared’ on the left menu, then right-click on the file you want to manage, choose ‘Manage access’.

• Here a window will appear showing a list of people who has access and their permissions. You can also change the status of their permissions here.

Need help with file sharing solutions?

At Texaport, our Microsoft-certified experts are here to help you maximise the potential of Microsoft products and ensure a seamless, secure, and efficient workflows for your business. Learn more about how Texaport can help you unlock the potential of Microsoft 365, or contact us today to explore what we can do for you.