Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration tool that allows for seamless communication and file sharing within organizations. It also allows for external sharing, which can be useful when working with partners, clients, and vendors. In this article, we explore the types of sharing available in Microsoft Teams and best practices for using external sharing.

Types of Sharing in Teams

There are two ways to share content in Microsoft Teams:

1. Sharing within an organization: Users can share files and collaborate on projects within their own organization using Microsoft Teams. This type of sharing is restricted to members of the organization, who have been granted access to specific teams and channels.
2. Sharing with users outside an organization: This type of sharing allows users to share files and collaborate with people outside of their organization. External users can be added to teams and channels as guests, giving them access to specific files and conversations.

External Sharing Settings, Guest Access, and Permissions

External sharing can be controlled through the SharePoint admin center, where you can set policies for external sharing, such as allowing or blocking external sharing, and setting up expiration dates for shared links.

External users can be added to teams and channels as guests, allowing them access to specific files and conversations. Guests can access the team’s files, participate in team conversations, and schedule and join meetings.

External users have limited permissions compared to internal users. They can only access the teams and channels they have been added to, and cannot access other teams or channels within the organization. There are three main tiers of privacy settings in Microsoft Teams, which are described in this blog post.

Best Practices for External Sharing with Microsoft Teams

Following are eight best practices for content sharing and collaboration with users outside of an organization:

1. Limit External Sharing: External sharing should be limited to only the necessary teams and channels, to reduce the risk of sensitive information being shared with unauthorized parties.
2. Use Expiration Dates: To further reduce the risk of sensitive information being shared with unauthorized parties, set up expiration dates for shared links. This ensures that the links will become inactive after a certain period, making the shared files inaccessible.
3. Monitor External Sharing: Regularly monitor external sharing, to ensure that the files being shared are appropriate and that external users are only given access to the necessary teams and channels.
4. Use Guest Links: Instead of adding external users as guests, use guest links to share files with external users. This allows you to set expiration dates and monitor the access to shared files more easily.
5. Use Azure Information Protection: To ensure that sensitive information is protected while being shared with external parties, use Azure Information Protection to classify, label, and protect files.
6. Enable Two-Factor Authentication: To add an extra layer of security when sharing with external parties, enable two-factor authentication for external users. This ensures that only authorized users have access to the shared files.
7. Use Retention Policies: Microsoft Teams governance is important. To ensure that files are not kept longer than necessary, use retention policies to automatically delete files after a specified period.
8. Educate Users: Provide training to users on the best practices for external sharing, including the importance of sharing only necessary information, using expiration dates, and monitoring external sharing.

Examples of External Sharing in Microsoft Teams

There are many use cases for external sharing in Microsoft Teams. Here are a few examples of scenarios when sharing content with users outside of an organization enable collaboration.

• Sharing a project with a client: A marketing team working on a project for a client can use Teams to share files and collaborate with the client in real-time. External sharing can be used to add the client as a guest to the team and channel for the project, giving them access to the necessary files and conversations.
• Sharing a proposal with a vendor: A purchasing team can use Teams to share a proposal with a vendor, allowing them to review and provide feedback on the proposal.
• Sharing a document with a partner: A research team working with a partner on a project can use Teams to share a document with the partner, allowing them to review and provide feedback on the document.

External sharing is a powerful feature of Microsoft Teams that allows organizations to collaborate with external parties, such as partners, clients, and vendors. By following the best practices for external sharing, organizations can ensure that the files being shared are appropriate and that external users are only given access to the necessary teams and channels.

Additionally, regular monitoring, use of expiration dates, two-factor authentication, Azure Information Protection, and retention policies can help organizations to protect sensitive information while sharing with external parties. By implementing these best practices, organizations can make the most of the external sharing feature in Teams and improve their collaboration with external parties.

If you are exploring external sharing options, Elantis can help. Our team of data management experts has a proven methodology combined with extensive experience working with both private sector and public sector organizations, which enables us to fully understand your environment, your needs, and your long-term objectives. Contact us to request a free consultation or join us on March 13, 2023 at our Lunch and Learn event in downtown Vancouver, BC. Register today!