Storing data in collaborative file services like OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, and Dropbox offers numerous benefits: seamless collaboration, improved version control, mobile access, productivity tool integration, and easy file recovery, among others. However, there are drawbacks to consider. The performance and availability needed for real-time collaboration makes these services a relatively expensive form of storage, and the flexibility of file sharing increases the risk of accidental or unauthorized data access. To mitigate these risks, follow the best practices for data storage in these services. 

 

Regularly review and clean up files

• Conduct periodic reviews of the files stored in the collaborative storage space.

• Delete or archive any files that are no longer needed or relevant. This helps to reduce clutter and ensure that only necessary data is retained.

• Moving data to cheaper forms of long-term storage will also help you stay under any quota limits that exist and keep you from paying fees for extra storage.

• Leverage data retention policies (OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint only): Your data may be subjected to regulatory requirements for retention or deleting data after an established time period. Applying an appropriate retention policy to the data is a great way to ensure your legal requirements are met and can also help prevent unnecessary accumulation of data. Yale provides a set of default retention policies; additional policies can be created for specific use cases.    

Practice good access control

• Restrict access to files and folders based on the principle of least privilege. Grant permissions only to users who genuinely need access to specific files or folders. Regularly review and adjust permissions as team members' roles and responsibilities change. 

• Take advantage of sharing settings provided by the storage platform. For example, in OneDrive, you can choose to share files with specific individuals, grant view or edit permissions, and set expiration dates for shared links. Understand the available options and use them to control access effectively. See also: Microsoft 365: Best Practices when sharing files 

Data organization

• Store departmental, project, or other community-owned data in a group-based location such as Teams, SharePoint in Microsoft 365, or a team folder if using Dropbox. This makes it easier to share relevant data with appropriate parties, and ensures the data is not lost if a person leaves the organization and their account is terminated as can be the case with OneDrive or Dropbox. Also see, our File Storage Best Practices and Tips for OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint.

• Categorize files into folders. Organizing files into logical folders and subfolders based on projects, departments, or any other relevant criteria makes it easier to locate and manage files, ensuring that users can quickly find what they need. 

• Give files meaningful and descriptive names that clearly indicate their content. This makes it easier for collaborators to understand the purpose and context of a file without having to open it, reducing the chances of unnecessary file access.