Stop Risky External Sharing Before It Becomes a Breach
External Access Guard™
for Microsoft 365 & SharePoint Security
External Access Guard™ is a Microsoft 365 and SharePoint external sharing risk assessment that identifies guest access exposure, anonymous links, and permission leaks across your environment — before they turn into compliance and data loss incidents.
External sharing audit • Guest & anonymous link exposure scan • Permission mapping • Risk report & remediation actions • Governance controls
OUR SECURITY COVERAGE
What External Access Guard™ Checks in Microsoft 365 & SharePoint
External Access Guard™ is a Microsoft 365 and SharePoint external sharing risk assessment that identifies guest access exposure, permission spread, and link-based data risk.
External Access Guard™ performs a structured Microsoft 365 and SharePoint external sharing security review. We map where external access exists, how permissions spread, and which sharing paths create unnecessary exposure — then document what to fix and how to control it.
Guest & External User Audit
External Sharing & Link Exposure
Governance Control Gaps
How External Access Guard™ Works in Microsoft 365 & SharePoint
Each External Access Guard™ engagement produces a documented external sharing risk map, exposure findings, and remediation-ready control recommendations.
Environment & Sharing Scope Review
We review your Microsoft 365 tenant sharing configuration, SharePoint external access settings, and collaboration policies to define the external exposure scope.
Guest & Link Exposure Discovery
We scan guest users, external collaborators, and anonymous sharing links across SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive to identify active exposure paths.
Permission & Access Path Mapping
We map inherited permissions, group access chains, and externally reachable content locations to reveal how access spreads beyond intended boundaries.
Risk Report & Control Actions
You receive a structured external access risk report with prioritized remediation actions, governance controls, and policy tightening recommendations.
Microsoft 365 and SharePoint external sharing can quietly expand beyond intended boundaries when permissions and guest access are not regularly reviewed. If you also want a broader platform-wide risk view, see our SharePoint Stability Hub for deeper governance and exposure coverage.
Microsoft documents how external and guest sharing behaves across Microsoft 365 workloads, including SharePoint and OneDrive. Review the official Microsoft external sharing guidance to understand how link-based and guest access controls work at the platform level.
SERVICE DELIVERABLES
What You Receive from External Access Guard™ Assessment
External Access Guard™ focuses specifically on external sharing exposure across Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. Unlike a generic audit, External Access Guard™ maps real external access paths and permission risks that standard reviews often miss.
External Access Risk Report
A structured report listing guest users, external sharing exposure, anonymous links, and externally reachable SharePoint and OneDrive locations.
Permission & Sharing Map
A visual and tabular map of how external access flows through groups, inherited permissions, and sharing links across your Microsoft 365 environment.
Exposure Severity Ratings
Risk-scored findings ranked by impact and likelihood, helping prioritize which external access gaps should be fixed first.
Remediation Action Plan
Step-by-step control recommendations covering sharing settings, guest access policies, permission cleanup, and governance tightening actions.
Who External Access Guard™ Is For — And When It’s Not Needed
Not every Microsoft 365 environment needs an external access assessment immediately. External Access Guard™ is designed for organizations with active collaboration, external sharing, and growing permission complexity — where exposure risk is real and visibility is limited.
Not Ideal Use Cases
External Access Guard™ may not be necessary yet if your environment has minimal sharing and tightly restricted collaboration.
Strong Fit Scenarios
External Access Guard™ delivers the most value where sharing, growth, and permission spread increase exposure risk.
- No guest users or external collaborators enabled
- External sharing globally disabled across Microsoft 365
- Very small tenant with limited SharePoint usage
- No partner, vendor, or client file sharing workflows
- Recently completed a full external access audit
- Static environment with no growth or restructuring plans
- Active SharePoint and Teams external collaboration
- Guest users and partner access are widely used
- Anonymous or link-based sharing is enabled
- Multiple site owners managing permissions independently
- Compliance, audit, or governance reviews approaching
- Preparing for Copilot or automation rollout
- Unsure who can access what externally
External Access Guard™ — Frequently Asked Questions
What is External Access Guard™ in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint?
External Access Guard™ is a structured assessment service that reviews Microsoft 365 and SharePoint external sharing, guest access, and permission exposure. It identifies where external users, anonymous links, and inherited permissions create data access risk and produces a remediation-ready control report. The goal is visibility and risk reduction — not just a checklist audit.
How is External Access Guard™ different from a general Microsoft 365 audit?
A general Microsoft 365 audit often reviews configuration broadly. External Access Guard™ focuses specifically on external sharing exposure, guest access paths, and permission spread across SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive. It prioritizes externally reachable content and produces targeted remediation actions tied to access risk, not just configuration observations.
Does this assessment change or modify our permissions?
No. External Access Guard™ is an assessment engagement, not an automatic change operation. We review, map, and document external access risks and provide remediation recommendations. Any permission or policy changes are reviewed and approved by your organization before implementation.
How long does an External Access Guard™ assessment take?
Most External Access Guard™ assessments are completed within a few business days, depending on tenant size, number of SharePoint sites, and level of external collaboration in use. Larger or highly distributed environments may require extended review time to properly map permission inheritance and sharing exposure.
Will this cover Microsoft Teams and OneDrive external sharing too?
Yes. The assessment includes external sharing and guest access exposure across SharePoint, Microsoft Teams–connected sites, and OneDrive where sharing links and external collaboration are enabled. These services often share permission and link behaviors, so they are reviewed together.
Do we receive a report we can use for compliance or governance reviews?
Yes. The deliverable includes a structured external access risk report with exposure findings, severity indicators, and recommended control actions. Many organizations use this report to support governance reviews, risk discussions, and remediation planning.
Is External Access Guard™ required before deploying Copilot or automation tools?
It is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. Tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot and automation workflows can surface and use content based on existing permissions. If external sharing and permission inheritance are not well controlled, exposure risk increases. This assessment helps reduce that risk before rollout.
What access is required to perform the External Access Guard™ assessment?
External Access Guard™ typically requires read-level administrative visibility into Microsoft 365 sharing settings, SharePoint permissions, and guest access configuration. This may include security or SharePoint admin roles with review scope only. No destructive or write changes are performed during assessment. Access is agreed in advance and limited strictly to what is required for exposure analysis.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Check Your Microsoft 365 External Access Risk Before It Becomes Exposure
External Access Guard™ gives you a decision-grade view of Microsoft 365 and SharePoint external sharing exposure, guest access risk, and permission spread — before compliance issues, data leakage, or uncontrolled collaboration creates operational risk.
