Ten tips for records managers to monitor records in Microsoft 365

With the large-scale adoption of Microsoft 365 (M365), many records managers have had to find ways to manage the records that have been (and continue to be) captured and stored across the ecosystem, including via Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business and Exchange Online. The M365 ecosystem is more complicated than a single server-based Electronic …

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Sharing SharePoint sites

Modern SharePoint sites include the option to 'Share site' or 'Share site only' (for sites linked with Microsoft 365 Groups). This option is found under 'Site Permissions'. Left - Non-Group based site / Right - Group based site When the option to share site is selected, a note states the following: 'Add users, Microsoft 365 …

Sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365

Sensitivity labels are one element in a range of tools that can be deployed in Microsoft 365 to protect information, as shown in the diagram below. Image source: Microsoft page 'What is Azure Information Protection' If you are new to information protection, it is important to understand that Azure Information Protection (AIP) is not the …

Tips to reduce complexity when implementing SharePoint

Over a period of almost 10 years of providing support for SharePoint (2010, 2013, Online), one of my key learnings has been to avoid complexity in its implementation. The more complicated the implementation is, the harder it will be to support, fix and maintain. This post contains several tips for implementing SharePoint to minimise complexity …

Understanding permission groups in Teams and SharePoint

One of the most confusing aspects of Teams and SharePoint in Microsoft 365 is the relationship between permission groups used to control access to both of these resources. This is especially the case as every Team in MS Teams has an associated SharePoint site (the 'Files' tab). This post explains how permission groups work between …

What happens if you mix label-based retention policies and non-label retention policies on the same SharePoint site?

Two types of retention policy can be created in Microsoft 365: Label-based retention policies, where the label is used to define the retention and retention outcomes. Labels must be published in a retention policy, a process that includes determining where the labels will be applied and appear ('explicit') to end users. Non-label-based retention policies, where …

Recordkeeping metadata in Office 365 and SharePoint

Records management standards (see below) state that a defining feature of records is that they are associated with metadata - both 'point of capture' metadata and 'process' metadata that continues to evolve throughout the life of the record. For at least two decades, the requirement to capture and store metadata for digital records has driven …

Destroying digital records – are they really destroyed?

Most people should be aware that pressing the 'delete' option for a file stored on a computer doesn't actually delete the item, it only makes the file 'invisible'. The actual file is still accessible on the disk and can be retrieved relatively easily or using forensic tools until the space it was stored on is …

Office 365/SharePoint Online – Accounts, roles and groups for records and information managers

Organisations have stored and managed records in on-premise versions of SharePoint for many years. Generally speaking, these records had to be managed in - and disposed from - individual site collections. Office 365 now includes a range of roles, access controls and settings that can be used to manage records across the ecosystem, making it …

Why is it so hard to ‘go digital’?

I visited a local fast-food outlet recently and could not help but notice the 'Lever Arch' binders in the small office behind the counter. A small two-drawer filing cabinet was also located below the desk. It made me wonder - in this day and age when pretty much everyone has access to the internet including …