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Enterprises increasingly rely on extranets to collaborate with external stakeholders – including partners, suppliers, customers, joint-ventures, and remote employees. While extranets can improve efficiency, productivity, and customer engagement, they also introduce security risks such as loss of intellectual property (IP), exposure of sensitive data, and risk of regulatory non-compliance.Â
Recent cyber incidents underscore these risks. For example, in July 2025, vulnerabilities in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint servers were exploited, impacting more than 400 organizations, including U.S. federal agencies. According to Microsoft, multiple threat actors have been observed, including Chinese state-sponsored groups, exploiting these vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access and deploy ransomware. While this breach did not involve an extranet specifically, it highlights how insufficient security controls and misconfigurations in Microsoft SharePoint environments can expose sensitive data, especially when data is shared with external users.
Implementing Zero Trust and Data-Centric Security for SharePoint Extranets
To avoid security risks and potential multi-million dollar fines, organizations should adopt a Zero Trust approach and implement data-centric security practices, ensuring that access is strictly verified, sensitive data is classified and protected, and data activities are continuously monitored. Securing a Microsoft SharePoint extranet requires careful considerations to the following five key security areas: web application architecture, authentication, user management, authorization, and content management. Each of these plays a critical role in protecting sensitive data while enabling secure collaboration.Â
Microsoft SharePoint provides a platform for effortless external collaboration, but enterprises must ensure that the right content is shared with the right authorization mechanisms in place. It is equally important to prevent information from being downloaded and misused by external users, while defining processes and workflows to manage content updates securely.Â
Organizations face significant challenges in creating a secure extranet – including ensuring compliance, managing access control, preventing security risks caused by privileged users, protecting sensitive content, and maintaining auditing and visibility. Â
Addressing these challenges requires a clear strategy for securing Microsoft SharePoint extranets. The white paper on Secure Deployment of Microsoft SharePoint Extranet for Enterprises provides practical guidance and solutions to help enterprises deploy a Microsoft SharePoint extranet securely while meeting compliance and collaboration requirements. It also highlights how NextLabs SharePoint Enforcer can support organizations in overcoming common security challenges and enhancing Microsoft SharePoint extranet protections.
