Everyone has the occasional need to send personal information to external partners or vendors. This should result in a notification message from the Helpdesk or Office365 notifying you that sensitive information was shared with people outside the organization, as illustrated below.

 

 

Please note this information has been sent or shared. It does not need to be resent. However, the notice should point out that this practice is not recommended. If you are looking for the recommended method for sharing this information, it is detailed below.

 

Share a Link to an Encrypted File saved in OneDrive

Part of the risk of emailing the information is that it can be intercepted in transit. When a link is shared, the actual file cannot be intercepted in this way. However, sharing the link to an unencrypted file will also result in a warning message. It is best to encrypt the file being shared and send the password separately.

 

First, encrypt the file. This is slightly different whether it is a PDF or Microsoft Office file type.

 

For an Adobe PDF using Adobe Acrobat

 

  1. With the file open, go to File > Protect using Password
  2. In the pop-up window, under Advanced Options, select Encrypt with Password
  3. Select Yes to acknowledge the security warning
  4. Place a check in the field Require a password to open the document
  5. Enter an acceptable password in this field
  6. Click OK to accept the settings

 

 

For a PDF using Adobe Reader or other PDF handler

 

  1. Navigate to Adobe's free online protection tool: Password protect a PDF
  2. Follow the instructions on the page
  3. Save the protected file to a location in your OneDrive folder

 

For Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)


  1. With the file open, go to File > Info
  2. Select Protect Document > Encrypt with Password
  3. Type a good password for the document
  4. Press OK

 

 

Next, create and send a share link for the document in OneDrive.

 

  1. Ensure the encrypted document is saved in a OneDrive folder
    Note: Teams files cannot be shared externally
  2. Open Windows Explorer (Finder for MacOS)
  3. Navigate to the file's saved location
  4. Right-click the file to be shared
  5. Select OneDrive > Share
  6. Enter the email address of the file recipient
    Note: By default the file will be Read-only, look for the Gear icon to adjust the share settings
  7. Add a message to send the email from this prompt, or click Copy link and paste it into the desired email

 

 

Finally, share the file password with a separate email or phone call.