OneDrive Personal Vault

12/3/2019

Everyone has a few personal files that they would like to make sure they always have secure access to. Microsoft has introduced a new feature to OneDrive Personal, the Personal Vault.

To turn on the Personal Vault select the Personal Vault folder on your device. This will start the process of setting up two-step verification. If you already have two-step verification turned on (recommended) it will then require the code to open the Personal Vault.

The activation screen for the service provides a list of the increased security provided to files and folders stored in the Personal Vault. Of interest is the automatic lock and disabling of sharing from the Personal Vault.

We do recommend that you use two-step verification for your Microsoft account, the personal vault adds additional security by requiring it to open this special folder each time you access it (outside of the automatic lock time).

The screens are slightly different depending on how you are accessing the personal vault. In the case of a web browser upon setup the following is displayed to provide an easy method to move files and folders to the personal vault.

In the mobile OneDrive app you are provided suggestions to add to the personal vault and a scan button. The button turns on Office Lens which will crop the document or ID card and then save it to your personal vault.

The mobile OneDrive app provides the option to use face or finger to authenticate when opening the Personal Vault in addition to a PIN.

The added security provided by the automatic locking and disabling of file sharing provided by the Personal Vault are welcome additions to OneDrive. If you are a OneDrive user, it is recommended that you start using Personal Vault today. At a minimum it is recommended to turn on two-step verification for any cloud service that provides this improved security.

Ward Blatch

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Authors

Ward Blatch
Ward provides consulting and training services as the Managing Director of K2E Canada Inc. He joined K2E Canada in 2005 and is responsible for the Canadian operations of this international consulting group, which provides professional development technology education for accountants across Canada and the US. Ward lives in rural Nova Scotia and can be reached at [email protected].

Tommy Stephens
Tommy is one of the shareholders in K2 Enterprises, affiliating with the Firm in 2003 and joining as a shareholder in 2017. At K2, Tommy focuses on creating and delivering content and is responsible for many of the Firm's management and marketing functions. Tommy resides in the metro Atlanta area. You may reach him at [email protected].

Randy Johnson
Randy is a nationally recognized educator, consultant, and writer with over 40 years experience in Strategic Technology Planning, Accounting Software Selection, Paperless, Systems and Network Integration, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning, Business Development and Management, Process Engineering and outsourced managed services. Randy can be reached at [email protected]

Bernie Smith
Bernie coaches businesses to develop meaningful KPIs and present their management information in the clearest possible way to support good decision making. As the owner of Made to Measure KPIs, he has worked with major organisations including HSBC, Airbus, UBS, Barclays, Credit Suisse, Lloyds and many more.

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