How do you protect confidential company information?
Efficiency question :
Protecting confidential information depends in part on controlling how it is viewed, modified, and used.
Within a company, some documents should be available in read-only mode, while others may be edited only by authorized people.
Microsoft 365 technologies can secure SharePoint pages, Excel, Word, and PDF files, as well as document templates used by employees.
The goal is to protect original information while allowing its use in everyday operations.
Key issues:
The main concern is preventing accidental or unauthorized changes to important documents.
Reference documents, working files, and templates used to produce new documents must be distinguished.
For example, an Excel financial model may be available to several employees without allowing them to alter its formulas, settings, or structure.
SharePoint pages containing procedures or official information must also be protected against unauthorized changes.
Challenges:
The main challenge is applying appropriate protections to different file types without making them difficult to use.
In Excel, some cells must remain editable for data entry while formulas and settings remain protected.
Employees must also be prevented from modifying template files directly instead of working from a copy.
Permissions must be configured consistently across SharePoint pages, document libraries, and the files themselves.
Technology:
Several Microsoft features help protect documents:
- SharePoint: read-only permissions for pages, libraries, and documents.
- Excel: worksheet protection, locked formula cells, and workbook structure protection.
- Word: editing restrictions and `.dotx` or `.dotm` templates.
- Excel: `.xltx` or `.xltm` templates to create new workbooks without modifying the original template.
- PDF: editing restrictions and encryption, depending on the tools used.
- Microsoft Purview: sensitivity labels and file encryption when additional protection is needed.
Excel worksheet protection, which mainly prevents accidental changes, must be distinguished from encryption and access permissions, which are genuine security mechanisms.
Developer's advice:
For important documents, prefer a SharePoint library where users have read-only access.
Keep template files in a protected location and have employees work on copies created from those templates.
In Excel, unlock only the cells intended for data entry and protect formulas, worksheets, and workbook structure.
For SharePoint pages, restrict editing rights to those responsible for their content.
When a document contains particularly confidential information, use encryption rather than relying solely on editing restrictions.
Effective document protection should let employees use the information they need without risking changes to reference documents.