📁 Why it’s better to turn off private OneDrive at work

Recognizable situations from SMEs

🔹 A colleague works at home and saves a file in his private OneDrive. But at the office, that file is nowhere to be found.
🔹 After leaving employment, confidential info turns up in a private account.
🔹 There is no backup. Because: private means no company policy.

As soon as something goes wrong – data breach, untraceable file, hassle with compliance – the damage is often incalculable. And then suddenly it does cost time, money and headaches.

 

🔒 What can you do?

With Microsoft Intune, you can easily:

• ✋ Block syncing with personal OneDrive accounts

• 👁️ Keeping insight into where files are stored

• 🛡️ Allow only corporate accounts in OneDrive & SharePoint

• 🚫 Disable detection of new (private) accounts

Without difficult technical steps. Just: set policy, and done.

 

New from Microsoft: warning on personal OneDrive connection

Starting last month, users will be notified when they want to link their personal OneDrive on a business device. A step in the right direction. But: only a notification. Not a block.

And so: if IT doesn’t shield anything here….

🔹 private and business files can mix
🔹 there is no logging or monitoring of what is shared
🔹 files can just leave the company without you noticing it

 

Frequently Asked Questions

❓1. Why do employees use their private OneDrive for work at all?

💬 Answer:
Very simple: convenience. They are already logged into their private account, it works fast, and no one has ever told them it’s not allowed. Often there is no clear policy or technical blockage either, so they take that “shortcut.”

❓2. What’s so risky about using a private cloud for work files?

💬 Answer:
You have no control over what happens to it. No backup policy, no logging, no encryption to company standards. If an employee leaves or their account is hacked, sensitive info could be out on the street. And then you as an organization are liable.

❓3. Can’t you just block private accounts via policy, without additional tools?

💬 Answer:
Good policy alone won’t get you there. You need technical enforcement. Fortunately, through Microsoft Intune and Endpoint Manager, you can set private accounts to be blocked in OneDrive, SharePoint and other Microsoft 365 apps. No complicated scripts or IT acrobatics required.

❓4. What if an employee accidentally saves something in their private account anyway?

💬 Answer:
Therefore, it is smart to take preventive measures, such as:

• Blocking private accounts in OneDrive/SharePoint

• Alerts or blocks via Conditional Access

• Insight through audit logs in Microsoft 365

That way you avoid hassles before things go wrong.

❓5. Is this only useful for large companies, or also for small SMEs?

💬 Answer:
Especially for SMEs! Large companies often already have IT departments and security specialists. For smaller organizations, the blow comes harder in the event of a data breach or loss of sensitive info. With smart policies and tools within Microsoft 365, you can easily reduce this risk – without a large budget.

 

💡 Did you know…

You can even apply these kinds of policies automatically to new devices via Microsoft Endpoint Manager? This not only keeps you in control, but also saves you time.

 

📌 What does it provide?

✅ More peace of mind: you know for certain that company data remains secure
✅ Less risk: no more shadow IT or surprises
✅ More clarity: employees know where they stand

 

Want to know how to manage this smartly within your organization?

At ALTA-ICT, we help SMBs get to a secure, modern workplace – without the hassle.

👉 Need to spar about this? Feel free to send a message.