In today’s digital landscape, ensuring the security of cloud-based platforms like Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online is more critical than ever. From data leaks and unauthorized access to insider threats and external breaches, the risks are real—and growing. Organizations that rely on SharePoint for document management and collaboration must prioritize SharePoint security to protect business operations, maintain compliance, and preserve user trust.
While Microsoft provides a solid security foundation, the ultimate responsibility falls on the organization and its users. In this guide, we’ll walk you through practical, proactive strategies to secure your SharePoint environment, including tips around permissions, backups, training, and more. We’ll also highlight how Infowise Ultimate Forms strengthens your SharePoint security posture with automation, governance, and granular controls.
1. Implement Regular Backups (Even in the Cloud)
Although SharePoint Online stores documents securely in OneDrive for Business, relying solely on cloud storage is not enough. Data corruption, accidental deletion, or malicious activity can occur. To safeguard against such risks:
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Perform scheduled backups of critical lists, libraries, and documents
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Encourage team members to download local copies of collaborative content
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Use external drives or secure internal repositories for offline redundancy
💡 Looking to integrate backup-friendly templates? Explore our SharePoint business solutions library.
2. Enforce Strict Permissions and Access Control
One of the most powerful tools in SharePoint is also one of the most vulnerable—permissions management. By default, SharePoint provides hierarchical permission levels, but administrators must define and enforce them properly.
Best practices include:
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Apply least privilege access: Only grant the minimum access users need to perform their tasks
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Use role-based access: Assign users to roles (e.g., Owner, Member, Visitor) instead of granting direct permissions
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Regularly review and audit permission settings on lists and sites
🔐 Need dynamic, field-level permission settings? Use Ultimate Forms’ Permissions component to tailor access control across your SharePoint forms.
3. Train Your Users Regularly
Security isn’t just a technical issue—it’s a people issue. A well-informed team can help prevent common mistakes that lead to data leaks or breaches.
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Host regular SharePoint and Microsoft 365 training sessions
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Create onboarding guides and refresher modules for new features
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Emphasize safe data handling, sharing practices, and phishing awareness
Tip: Use Infowise’s Training Portal solution to manage sessions, materials, and attendance right inside SharePoint.
4. Use Security Groups for Better Oversight
Microsoft 365 allows admins to group users under Microsoft 365 Security Groups. These can be used to:
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Apply group-based permissions across multiple SharePoint sites
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Centralize access control and simplify management
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Reduce the risk of unintentional privilege escalation
Within SharePoint, you can designate users as:
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Owners – full control
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Members – contributors
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Visitors – read-only users
Infowise Ultimate Forms supports group-based automation, making it easy to build workflows that respond to group membership changes or user roles.
5. Monitor and Control Content Sharing
Unrestricted file sharing is one of the top causes of data exposure in SharePoint. Administrators must set clear policies around external and internal sharing.
Key actions:
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Disable or restrict anonymous sharing
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Set expiration dates for shared links
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Enable sensitivity labels to tag confidential data
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Use alerts and logging to monitor sharing activities
🛡️ Build alerts into your forms using Ultimate Forms Alerts, which can notify you of policy violations or unusual sharing behavior.
6. Vet External Web Assets and Media
SharePoint sites often include rich content—images, web parts, embedded documents. To maintain security:
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Avoid using media from untrusted sources
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Host images and videos in your own SharePoint document libraries
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Scan external content for malware before uploading
By using Ultimate Forms Print and Document Automation, you can manage and standardize document formatting and content import across your environment.
7. Enforce Device-Level Security
Even the most secure SharePoint environment is vulnerable if user devices are compromised. Encourage and enforce:
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Mobile device encryption and passcodes
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Biometric security (e.g., fingerprint or facial recognition)
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Automatic logouts on inactivity
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Use of Microsoft Intune or similar MDM solutions for remote management
SharePoint Online integrates with Entra ID (Azure AD) Conditional Access to enforce device-based policies—be sure to configure these rules for added protection.
8. Leverage Infowise to Enhance SharePoint Security
While Microsoft 365 lays the groundwork, Infowise Ultimate Forms empowers you to go further—especially when it comes to creating secure, automated business solutions in SharePoint without writing a single line of code.
With Infowise, you can:
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Add form-level permissions for sensitive fields
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Create multi-step approval workflows with role-based triggers
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Track user activity with audit-friendly logs
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Limit content visibility based on user roles or metadata
💡 Explore how SharePoint HR management solutions can handle sensitive employee data securely.
Conclusion
Securing your SharePoint environment is not optional—it’s essential. From managing permissions and monitoring content sharing to training users and locking down devices, each layer of security contributes to a more resilient Microsoft 365 deployment.
By integrating Infowise Ultimate Forms with your SharePoint strategy, you gain an added layer of security, automation, and intelligence—making your organization better prepared to handle today’s challenges and tomorrow’s threats.
✅ Ready to take control of your SharePoint security?
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