How to Prevent External Sharing on SharePoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

SharePoint is a powerful collaboration tool that allows teams to store, manage, and share files seamlessly. However, its external sharing features, while useful, can sometimes pose security risks if not properly controlled. Whether you’re protecting sensitive company data or ensuring compliance with regulations, preventing external sharing on SharePoint might be a critical step for your organization. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of disabling external sharing step-by-step, along with additional security best practices.

Why Restrict External Sharing?

Before diving into the how-to, let’s consider why you might want to disable external sharing:

• Data Security: Prevent sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized external parties.
• Compliance: Meet industry standards or legal requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) that restrict data sharing.
• Control: Maintain strict oversight over who can access your organization’s files.

Step 1: Access the SharePoint Admin Center

1. Log in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) using your admin credentials.
2. From the left-hand navigation, select Show all (if needed), then click SharePoint under "Admin centers."
3. This opens the SharePoint Admin Center, where you can control sharing settings.

Tip: If you prefer command-line management, you can use PowerShell to modify external sharing settings efficiently.

Step 2: Configure Tenant-Level Sharing Settings

1. In the SharePoint Admin Center, go to Policies > Sharing in the left-hand menu.
2. You’ll see a Sharing page with sliders and options for external sharing control.
3. Under External sharing, adjust the settings for SharePoint:
   • Slide the bar to "Only people in your organization" (this disables all external sharing).
   • If you’re also managing OneDrive sharing, ensure its settings align with SharePoint by selecting the same option.
4. Click Save at the bottom of the page.

Note: Tenant-level settings override any site-specific configurations, ensuring full control over data access.

Step 3: Restrict Sharing at the Site Collection Level (Optional)

1. In the SharePoint Admin Center, go to Sites > Active sites.
2. Locate the site you want to restrict (use the search bar if needed).
3. Select the site by clicking its name or checkbox, then click Sharing in the top toolbar.
4. In the pop-up window, set External sharing to "Only people in your organization."
5. Click Save.

Tip: This method allows flexibility—some sites can remain open to external sharing while others are locked down.

Step 4: Verify Your Settings

1. Go to a SharePoint site you’ve restricted.
2. Click the Share button at the top-right of a document library or file.
3. If external sharing is off, you’ll see that options to invite external users (e.g., via email links) are grayed out or unavailable.

Troubleshooting: If external sharing is still active despite restrictions, verify that there are no existing guest user permissions that override the new settings.

Step 5: PowerShell Method for Advanced Users

Set-SPOTenant -SharingCapability Disabled

To restrict external sharing for a specific site, use:

Set-SPOSite -Identity "https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite" -SharingCapability Disabled

Note: Ensure you have SharePoint Online Management Shell installed and the required admin privileges before running these commands.

Step 6: Communicate with Your Team

• Notify users about the change via email or a company announcement.
• Provide alternatives, such as secure file transfer tools or internal collaboration spaces.
• Offer training on secure internal collaboration methods.

Additional Tips for Enhanced Security

• Use Sensitivity Labels: Apply Microsoft Purview Information Protection labels.
• Monitor Activity: Check the Audit Log in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center.
• Educate Users: Train your team on best practices to avoid accidental data leaks.
• Enable Conditional Access Policies: Implement Azure AD conditional access.

Conclusion

Preventing external sharing on SharePoint is a straightforward process that enhances security. By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your files stay within your organization’s control. 🔒✨📁

Have questions? Drop a comment below, and let’s keep the conversation going! 💬🔍🤝