SharePoint implementation – Some key issues to consider#3 – Who accesses what and with what privileges?

Continuing from my last few posts SharePoint implementation – Some key issues to consider#1 – Estimating and keeping track of storage and SharePoint implementation – Some key issues to consider#2 – What to Store and what to avoid? , the next issue I would want to share is who accesses what and with what privileges?

In this age of governance and compliance, security awareness, and risk management, few things are more critical than controlling access to applications and information. This is especially critical in the free-wheeling world of SharePoint, where those setting up their own sites are apt to be unfamiliar with good security practices, and when, frankly, security is not really part of their job. Here are some of the things you have to worry about as a SharePoint administrator:

  • How new employees / contractors are made part of the SharePoint group – and what are their permissions within their group
  • How to keep employees from accessing another group’s information – information they have no right to see
  • How to ensure proper version control and editing rights are allocated

How to handle employees who are:

  • leaving their group
  • transferring to a new position / department, or
  • leaving the company entirely
  • and so on……
  • Most organizations have established governance policies that cover these and other scenarios, and as SharePoint administrator, it is your task to enforce these policies. You need to be able to:

    • Centrally set permissions
    • Grant users’ permissions to one or more SharePoint site collections or sites, either directly or as a member of an existing group
    • You need to be able to centrally delete permissions
    • and so on…

    It really took us a while to decide and implement decisions related to privileges….and last but not least..one good feature which helps in the process…..anyone can ask / request for a permission to site or site collections through the “Request Access” feature, so you can gradually build up the access and privilege list (after initial setup).

    This was a critical planning task for us as we had to plan right from the top (site level) till bottom (document level).

    July 30, 2008 · Rahul Desai · No Comments
    Posted in: SharePoint, Talman news

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