Hidden Security Dangers of SharePoint Permissions & Sharing

One link. That’s all it takes to expose sensitive business data across your entire Microsoft 365 environment. 

That unsettling truth became clear during our recent webinar, Unseen, Unsecured: How Sharing Links and Broken Inheritance Quietly Undermine Data Security. IT admins and Microsoft 365 users came together to spotlight the silent yet dangerous culprits behind data leaks, compliance risks, and administrative chaos: uncontrolled sharing links and broken permission inheritance. 

The takeaway? These risks are widely known, but rarely controlled. Let’s break down the key insights from the webinar and how Orchestry empowers organizations to take back control of M365 security. 

M365 Sharing Links and Broken Inheritance

Insight #1: IT Teams Know the Risks, but Can’t See the Whole Picture

There’s no lack of awareness. In fact, one attendee coined the term “Blast Radius” to describe how a single “Anyone with the link” share can ripple across a tenant, bypassing intended boundaries and exposing sensitive data. It struck a nerve. 

“Most site owners don’t understand permissions,” said one attendee. 

Here’s what else surfaced: 

• Expired doesn’t mean deleted. Sharing links marked “inactive” may still exist, posing a long-term risk. 
• Permissions activate on click. Many forget that access isn’t granted until someone uses the link, making detection tricky. 
• Copilot isn’t immune. Microsoft Copilot relies on current permissions. If your sharing links are too loose, your AI assistant might surface data it shouldn’t. 

Despite the awareness, nearly every attendee admitted they lacked clear visibility into who has access, for how long, and through which links. 

Insight #2: Oversharing, Legacy Sprawl, and Admin Overload

Admins shared real-world examples that highlighted the scale of the issue: 

• “Anyone” links are out of control. One admin reported 2,500+ sharing links for a single site. 
• Orphaned and legacy sites pile up. When users leave, their shared content and shared links often stay behind, unmanaged and unsecured. 
• Reporting is limited. Microsoft’s native tools provide only a 6-month window, making historical tracking nearly impossible. 
• Admins are the cleanup crew. IT teams are left dealing with broken inheritance, mystery links, and messy permissions. Often they have to manage all this without the right tools. 

Insight #3: IT Teams Are Ready to Act, but Need the Right Tools

This wasn’t just a complaint session. Admins were motivated. 

“I feel a spring clean coming on... I’m going to make myself enemy number one!” 

77% of poll participants wanted a deeper dive into solutions, particularly tools that offer visibility, control, and automation. As one participant put it: “Hardly anybody else talks about these nuances. You guys crush it every time.” 

How Orchestry Helps You Regain Control of Microsoft 365 Security

Orchestry is purpose-built to tackle the very challenges brought up during the webinar. Here’s how we help IT teams turn awareness into action with our sharing links and permissions tool for reporting and remediation.

1. Uncover Risks with Sharing Link Reports

Our Sharing Link Reports give admins a bird’s-eye view of sharing activity across M365: 

• View all active, expired, and orphaned links across SharePoint.
• Instantly see who has access to what, and why. 
• Detect “Anyone” links and remove them before they become a breach.

Stop guessing. Start auditing.

2. Clean Up Legacy Content with Bulk Deletion Tools

Don’t let old data become your next data breach. Orchestry simplifies content cleanup with powerful automation: 

• Delete inactive or orphaned SharePoint sites.
• Remove outdated links from OneDrive and Teams. 
• Reclaim control over legacy "Classic" sites with minimal manual effort. 

3. Enforce Smart Governance and Sharing Policies

Orchestry lets you shift from reactive to proactive: 

• Default all new links to “Only people with existing access.” 
• Automatically expire links after a set period. 
• Monitor policy adherence across the tenant.

This means less over-sharing and more right-sharing.

4. Secure Microsoft Copilot Access with Confidence

AI tools like Microsoft Copilot depend on existing permissions. If your sharing links are a mess, your AI could expose sensitive info. 

Orchestry helps you: 

• Understand how Copilot interacts with your current permissions. 
• Enforce strict access controls to prevent AI-fueled exposure. 
• Stay compliant with governance requirements before AI becomes a risk vector.

Why This Matters Now

M365 admins are dealing with: 

• Thousands of unchecked sharing links 
• Hundreds of abandoned legacy sites 
• Limited visibility into who can see what 
• Security officers breathing down their necks

Sound familiar?

The cost of doing nothing is rising. Data breaches, compliance violations, and overworked IT teams are becoming more common. Without modern tools, managing M365 permissions is a losing battle.

Orchestry is how you win.

Take the Next Step: Secure Your M365 Environment Today

With 77% of poll participants asking for a deeper dive, one thing is clear. IT teams are ready to take action. Are you? 

With Orchestry, you can: 

• Expose and eliminate permission risks 
• Clean up legacy content with ease 
• Set proactive governance defaults that stick 
• Support secure Copilot adoption

👉 Book a demo or speak to an expert on our team to see Orchestry in action. 

Don’t let link sprawl and broken inheritance leave your environment exposed. It’s time to shrink your Blast Radius and strengthen your M365 security posture for good.