Secure File Storage Options For Custom Sharepoint Solutions
Why File Security Matters
Protecting files stored in SharePoint from unauthorized access is critical for several reasons. First, confidential files containing sensitive data like customer information, financial records, product designs, etc. can lead to serious consequences if accessed by hackers, insiders, or others without proper permissions.
Second, many industries face strict regulatory compliance rules regarding data security and privacy protection. Examples include healthcare (HIPAA), financial services (GLBA), public sectors (FISMA), and more. Failing to properly restrict access to protected files stored in SharePoint could lead to heavy fines, lawsuits, and damage to an organization’s reputation.
Lastly, unsecured SharePoint libraries, improper authentication, misconfigured permissions, and other file storage risks can all contribute to data breaches resulting in anything from mild embarrassment to the mass exposure of your organization’s most valued information assets. Taking proper precautions is essential.
Built-in SharePoint Security Options
Before considering custom solutions, SharePoint provides users several native tools to enhance file security, including:
Permissions Inheritance
SharePoint allows disabling inheritance to manually configure unique permissions at various hierarchy levels. This ensures only authorized groups or persons can access the files stored within a specific library, folder, etc. Appropriately scoping permissions is crucial to avoid exposing data to unnecessary risk.
Information Rights Management (IRM)
IRM uses Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS), allowing users to set file/folder policies restricting certain actions like viewing, editing, printing, etc. This is applied directly to the file level, traveling even outside the SharePoint environment.
Encryption at Rest
SharePoint servers provide encryption for data-at-rest using BitLocker (for Windows) or DM-Crypt (for Linux). This protects inactive files stored long-term from potential data breaches even if drives are removed or servers decoMmissioned without being wiped.
When to Use Custom Security
Despite its strengths, SharePoint’s native security has limitations that may justify implementing custom solutions in certain situations, such as:
Addressing Limitations of Built-in Options
Native tools lack capabilities sometimes needed to properly secure sensitive SharePoint-stored files. Shortcomings like inflexible permission scoping, self-service risks from inheritance changes, and over-reliance on admins may necessitate custom security solutions.
Advanced User Access Rules
Custom tools can enforce strict user access rules based on sophisticated criteria including group membership overlap, document characteristics, contextual conditions, integrated systems’ user attributes, and more. Far beyond native permissions.
Integrating External Systems
In some cases, securing SharePoint file storage requires integration with external systems like encryption key managers, proprietary DRM tools, enterprise authentication services, classified data repositories, and similar. Custom solutions help connect these disparate pieces.
Implementing Custom Security
If SharePoint’s out-of-the-box security capabilities are insufficient, some popular custom solutions include:
Azure Rights Management Services (Azure RMS)
Microsoft’s cloud-based Azure RMS allows creating custom document access policies enforced anywhere. Protection remains with the files even when copied or downloaded from controlled SharePoint Document Libraries.
Encryption with Custom Key Management
By owning the keys used to encrypt SharePoint-stored files, organizations avoid surrendering absolute control to Microsoft, allowing greater confidence in proprietary data confidentiality assurances.
Securing Files with EWS Managed API
For programmers, the EWS Managed API allows building custom apps applying programmatic document protections beyond native capabilities. Securing downloads, custom IRM rules, encryption hooks, and similar become possible.
Auditing and Monitoring File Access
Even properly secured SharePoint files must be continually monitored through tools like:
Usage Logging and Analysis
Logs of all file access events and user behaviors within SharePoint Document Libraries should pipe to security analytics tools to detect suspicious anomalies indicative of insider risks.
Alerting on Suspicious Activities
Threshold-based rules can automatically alert InfoSec teams about abnormal usage levels per file/library, suspiciously excessive failed login attempts, downloads or DLP incidents involving protected files, and similar.
Reporting for Auditors
Custom reports detailing which users accessed specific files can assure auditors that regulatory compliance mandates are met regarding confidential data access logging, periodic review, and so forth.
Best Practices for Secure File Storage
Some recommendations for maximizing SharePoint file security include:
Defense-in-Depth Approach
Relying exclusively on native SharePoint tools is unwise – organizations should take a layered approach combining properly-scoped permissions, encryption, usage analytics, and custom access rules for optimal security.
Ongoing Security Reviews
Document libraries should be frequently reviewed to ensure permission scopes remain properly aligned to company security policies as personnel and roles change over time.
Testing Backup Restoration
Verifying backups allows recovery from ransomware or similar attacks. Testing restoration with anonymized dummy files ensures protective measures like custom encryption remain intact through the process.
Conclusion
Protecting confidential SharePoint-managed files from unauthorized viewing or modification is essential for security and regulatory compliance. Before considering custom options, native tools like permissions, IRM, and encryption provide baseline protections. For more rigorous security demands, Azure RMS, custom encryption hooks, advanced access rules via EWS API apps, and layered monitoring and analytics offer stronger assurances.
By proactively addressing SharePoint file storage risks through both built-in and custom options, organizations can robustly secure sensitive documents from breach scenarios ranging from insider misuse to sophisticated cyberattacks.
