How to see files and folders shared externally?

Sharing files and folders externally can be important for collaboration, but it’s also vital to maintain control over who has access to your organization’s data. This guide walks you through the steps to identify and review files and folders that have been shared outside your domain, helping you ensure that your company’s data remains secure.

Steps on identifying Google Drive content shared externally

1. Open Folgo in Google Drive

2. Click on Audit content & access

Perform an audit. For step-by-step instructions, see this article.

3. Access the audit report

a. Once the audit is done, access the report. Look for a tab or section labeled “Permissions Recap”. Here, you will have an overview of the permissions assigned to each user for files and folders within your domain.

3. Review permissions recap

On the Permissions Recap page, you’ll find a comprehensive list of:

• Users who have access to documents
• Files or folders they have access to
• The type of access (owner, editor, commenter, viewer)
• The domain or email address associated with each user’s access

4. Identify externally shared files and folders

The “Domain” column shows every domain that has access to at least one item in your audited content. The “User” column shows how many files or folders each user can access. Review these results and identify any access that seems external.

5. Take action (recommended)

After identifying files and folders shared externally, you can take action directly from the audit spreadsheet. Open Folgo in Google Sheets. A new column called “Edit?” will appear on the far right of the spreadsheet. Use it to select any access you consider unwanted, risky, or suspicious.

Once you have selected the external access you want to remove, go to the Folgo interface and click “Secure content.” Then choose the action you want to apply to the selected permissions.

Here are the actions available.

• Remove permissions: If you find any external sharing that should not exist, you can revoke access. This can usually be done directly from the permissions recap page by clicking on the user’s permission and selecting the option to remove or revoke.
• Modify Permissions: If external users need limited access, you can adjust their permissions (e.g., from “edit” to “view” only) to ensure they have appropriate access levels.
• Review Shared Folders and Collaborators: Ensure that the correct individuals have the correct level of access. Removing or adjusting permissions for outdated or unauthorized collaborators helps maintain security.

6. Best practices for external sharing

• Regular Audits: Perform periodic audits of externally shared files/folders using the permission tools to ensure ongoing compliance and data security.
• Least Privilege Principle: Ensure external users only have access to what they specifically need. Limit sharing to view-only if possible.
• Revoke Unnecessary Access Promptly: When external collaborations end, revoke access to maintain security and privacy.

Conclusion:

By using the Permissions Recap tab and filtering options, you can easily identify all files and folders shared externally. Regularly reviewing these shares helps maintain data integrity, ensures that only authorized individuals have access, and that sensitive information remains secure within your organization.

Additional Resources:

• Audit Google Drive content and access
• How can I remove unwanted access to Google Drive files?