Understanding File Sharing Permissions and Their Risks

In today’s fast-paced digital world, sharing files quickly and securely is a must! But while file sharing makes our work easier, it’s important to understand the potential risks if permissions aren’t handled correctly. Knowing the difference between various file-sharing options—especially between sharing files externally and sharing them publicly—can help keep your data safe. Plus, using strong data loss prevention (DLP) measures can reduce the risks even further.

Why File Sharing Permissions Matter

File sharing permissions control who can access, view, or edit a file. These settings aren’t just for convenience—they’re essential for protecting your data! If files are shared incorrectly, it could lead to unintentional data leaks, intellectual property theft, or even issues with legal compliance, especially in industries with strict privacy regulations like healthcare, finance, or government.

File sharing permissions are essential for protecting your data!

Let’s break down the four main types of file-sharing permissions and see how each one differs in terms of functionality and risk. ‍

1. Private Sharing Within Your Organization

Private sharing lets you share files with specific people within your organization (like manually adding invitedcoworker@company.com). This is generally the safest option, especially for confidential projects, because only the people you choose can access the files. For example, sensitive documents like product development plans or financial reports should be shared this way to avoid them falling into the wrong hands. This type of sharing works well with data loss prevention systems, which can monitor files for sensitive information—like social security numbers or intellectual property—and prevent them from being shared beyond their intended audience. Awesome, right? ‍

2. Internal Sharing Across the Organization

Internal sharing makes files available to everyone within your organization (everyone@company.com). This is perfect for files like company-wide announcements, training materials, or resources that everyone needs access to. While it’s super convenient, it does come with some risk. If sensitive data is accidentally shared this way, it could lead to unintentional access by people who shouldn’t see it. DLP systems can help by scanning files for any sensitive or proprietary information and flagging potential risks before they become bigger problems. ‍

3. External Sharing with Specific Individuals

External sharing (i.e. inviteduser@external.com) is often used when working with clients, vendors, or other third parties. It allows you to share files outside of your organization in a controlled way, ensuring that only the invited people can access the file. So handy! However, there’s still some risk. Even when you’re sharing with specific external permissions, the file could be forwarded or misused. That’s where DLP can step in, adding an extra layer of protection by encrypting files or requiring access credentials, so even if the file is forwarded, only the intended person can access it. That’s peace of mind! ‍

4. Public Sharing: The Riskiest Option

Public sharing means anyone with a link can access the file. While it’s useful for sharing non-sensitive materials—like marketing documents or event invitations—it also poses the greatest risk for accidental data leaks. If a sensitive file is shared publicly instead of with a specific person, the consequences can be serious. Public sharing opens up files to anyone who gets the link, making it difficult to control who sees or downloads them. This can lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or compliance violations. Be careful with this one!

Public sharing can lead to data breaches, intellectual property theft, or compliance violations.

Externally Shared vs. Publicly Shared: Why It Matters

The big difference between externally shared files and publicly shared files is control. Externally shared files are restricted to specific people outside your organization, while publicly shared files can be accessed by anyone who gets the link. The latter option creates a much bigger security risk because it’s hard to track who has viewed or downloaded the file, making it tough to contain any damage caused by unauthorized access. Understanding this distinction is critical, especially in industries where data security is a top priority, like healthcare or finance. Sharing a file publicly that contains sensitive information could result in massive breaches, fines, and damage to your company’s reputation. Nobody wants that!

Understanding this distinction is critical, especially in industries where data security is a top priority.

The Role of dope.security in Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

With innovative solutions like dope.security’s CASB Neural, businesses can protect their sensitive data through behind the scenes monitoring and access control to cloud services, making sure your data stays safe from unauthorized access or transfers. By using machine learning and smart analytics, CASB Neural can flag for potential data risks in real time, and allow you to update file access permissions directly from the console. Have a file accidentally available to anyone with the link? Remove Public access. Have a file shared with an external vendor, who doesn’t need the document anymore? Remove External access. You can rest easy knowing that even in tricky cloud environments, your information is well-managed.

CASB systems are essential for keeping your important data secure by monitoring and preventing unauthorized sharing of confidential files. CASB Neural automatically scans for sensitive content, like financial details, personal information, or proprietary data, before anything is shared. It’s like having a reliable watchdog that helps keep your data safe from accidental or intentional leaks. Adding DLP to your file-sharing process offers an extra layer of protection, especially when using platforms where it’s easy to accidentally share files too broadly. With tools like CASB Neural, you get peace of mind knowing your sensitive information is safeguarded without any hassle. This added security lets you enjoy the flexibility and convenience of cloud-based platforms while keeping your data protected. It’s a simple, smart way to stay secure and stress-free.

Wrapping Up

As file-sharing continues to evolve, so do the risks that come with it. Understanding the difference between external and public sharing, along with using robust data loss prevention strategies, is crucial for keeping your data safe. It’s a great idea for organizations to regularly review their file-sharing policies, educate employees about the risks, and use technology to protect sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. With dope.security, you can easily review all Publicly and Externally shared files within CASB Neural, and with a click of the button turn your shared files Private. Integrate this with department-wide Secure Web Gateway (SWG) Policies and Cloud Application Control (CAC) settings and you’ll be flying the internet skies safely with your files secured in tow. Stay safe and share smartly!