If Microsoft can read Outlook.com email, they can read your Office documents too.
The news that Microsoft read the email of a Hotmail/Outlook.com user without his knowledge raises the question of access to OneDrive data
Microsoft Office and Windows 8 encourage people to save documents and pictures to Microsoft’s OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) service. Some Office mobile apps only work with documents saved to OneDrive.
How safe from reading are those documents from Microsoft’s eyes? Not at all.
Microsoft’s Terms of Use is quite clear that anything saved to OneDrive can be read by Microsoft for any reason, at any time and without notice.
The same ‘Terms of Use‘ that Microsoft used to justify reading a private Hotmail account also apply to OneDrive documents:
“Microsoft reserves the right to review materials posted to the Communication Services and to remove any materials in its sole discretion “
Other cloud storage companies have similar wording. Google has some qualification on their broad powers but Microsoft doesn’t have that legal ‘fig leaf’.
It’s important to read the Terms of Use only. Microsoft staff make all manner of vague promises and assurances but, as the latest case shows, the company will rely on the Terms of Use alone to do whatever they feel is necessary.
In addition, we know those documents and images can be accessed by government agencies like America’s NSA and Britain’s GCHQ.
The only protection would be to use password protected documents however that’s a nuisance. Office Web Apps and Office Mobile apps can’t open password protected documents so you’ll lose some of the advantage of cloud storage.
All of the cloud storage suppliers have similar wording in their formal terms of use but it seems only Microsoft has been caught using those powers for its own benefit.
See Also
FAQs
Without zero-knowledge encryption, OneDrive could theoretically unlock your files and read them without your permission. Although there is no evidence of this happening in the past, with the amount of information Microsoft collects, your data security and privacy could be at risk.
Can Microsoft see your Word documents? ›
The answer is no, if they are created locally rather than Word or Excel online, the admins cannot access them.
Why are all my Microsoft documents read only? ›
Microsoft Word, by default, opens the documents downloaded from the internet in Read-Only mode for added security reasons. Other times, it can be due to the document owner adding edit restrictions to the document to be used in read-only mode to prevent modifications.
Can my employer see what I do on Microsoft Office? ›
If you are on the business plan of your organization, then anything you do on Microsoft Teams or any other MS Office apps will be visible to your employer. From the moment you log in, your employer can keep track of your calls, meetings, chats, etc.
Can you trust Microsoft with your data? ›
Data processing only with consent
We only process your data based on your agreement and in accordance with the strict policies and procedures that we have contractually agreed to. We don't share your data with advertiser-supported services or mine it for any purposes, such as marketing research or advertising.
Can Microsoft access my data? ›
Access to customer data by Microsoft operations and support personnel is denied by default. When access to data related to a support case is granted, it is only granted using a just-in-time (JIT) model using policies that are audited and vetted against our compliance and privacy policies.
Who can access my Word documents? ›
Manage Access to a Document
- Click the Share button.
- Click the More Options (…) button.
- Select Manage Access. Now, you can see who has access to this document, and whether they have editing or view-only permissions.
- Click a permissions list arrow.
- Select a permissions level.
- Click Close.
To help you keep your device secure, Windows Security monitors your device for security issues and provides a health report, which appears on the Device performance & health page.
Are Microsoft Word documents safe? ›
Microsoft Word uses simple yet effective encryption for its document protection. While the document remains encrypted, it cannot be read – presenting itself as a jumble of numbers and letters to anybody who does not hold the decryption key.
How do I make Microsoft not read only? ›
Remove read only
- Click the Microsoft Office Button. , and then click Save or Save As if you have previously saved the document.
- Click Tools.
- Click General Options.
- Clear the Read-only recommended check box.
- Click OK.
- Save the document. You might need to save it as another file name if you have already named the document.
Read-only is a file attribute which only allows a user to view a file, restricting any writing to the file. Setting a file to “read-only” will still allow that file to be opened and read; however, changes such as deletions, overwrites, edits or name changes cannot be made.
How do I know if my employer is monitoring my computer? ›
Signs Your Employer Is Monitoring You
- Unknown Programs Installed.
- Slow computer Performance.
- Your Webcam Light Is On.
- Examine Your Productivity Applications.
With the help of employee monitoring software, employers can view every file you access, every website you browse and even every email you've sent. Deleting a few files and clearing your browser history does not keep your work computer from revealing your internet activity.
Can my employer see what files I open? ›
A: YES, your employer can monitor your personal accounts. As explained above, whatever you use on the work computers, can be monitored. If your employer uses workplace monitoring software that captures keystrokes, then any content can be monitored.
Does Microsoft collect personal information? ›
Personal data we collect. Microsoft collects data from you, through our interactions with you and through our products. You provide some of this data directly, and we get some of it by collecting data about your interactions, use, and experiences with our products.
Does Microsoft Office read PDF? ›
You may not know it, but Microsoft Word which is included in Office 365 is a fully functional PDF file editor. You can use Microsoft Word to edit PDF files.
Does Microsoft read my email? ›
Microsoft, by the way, has gone on the record that it doesn't read customers' emails. If you want a higher level of privacy — or at least assurance of privacy — you may want to try a provider like ProtonMail.
