In small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), file access often becomes messy over time as employees change roles and leave. Sharing folders and permissions piling up without being revoked further contributes to this. It creates risks, such as users having too much unnecessary access and gaps in compliance with regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
One good way to fix this is to audit file share access and create a file access checklist. This checklist will give managed service providers (MSPs) and IT teams a simple framework for controlling permissions.
Creating a file access review checklist for SMBs
By creating a structured file access review checklist and performing the listed tasks, SMBs can reduce risk, support audit readiness, and establish a repeatable review process that can be run quarterly or twice a year.
📌 Prerequisites:
- You will need access to the file servers, NAS devices, or cloud storage platforms like Windows File Server, OneDrive, SharePoint, or Google Drive.
- You must have administrative permissions to export access control lists (ACLs).
- You must define categories of sensitive data to prioritize in the review, like HR, finance, or client records.
- A spreadsheet or documentation tool, like Excel, Sheets, or NinjaOne Documentation, to track tasks and results.
Step 1: Define the file share access audit’s scope
The first step is to determine what will be reviewed. By clearly defining the scope of the file access review, MSPs can focus their efforts on the data that matters most.
📌 Use Cases:
- This step will help you prioritize sensitive or regulated data so reviews can address the highest-risk areas first.
- It prevents wasted effort by narrowing the review to specific storage locations.
📌 Prerequisites:
- You will need access to all data storage locations in use, including in-house data drives and cloud platforms.
- This step requires a list of departments that own shared folders.
- Be sure to identify which data categories, such as finance, HR, client data, and legal, should be considered sensitive.
Use this table to define and identify the audit’s scope:
| Scope | Action |
| Identify storage locations | Identify which file storage systems are covered. In-house hard drives, cloud storage platforms like Google Drive and OneDrive, and shared departmental folders |
| Prioritize sensitive data | Start with prioritizing sensitive or regulated data, like finances, legal documents, and employee personal data |
| Confirm ownership of data | Confirm the ownership of each storage location so that the correct managers can participate in access decisions |
Step 2: Export current file permissions
After defining the scope, your next step is to capture the current state of file access. Exporting permissions will give you a clear baseline to compare against business roles and compliance needs.
📌 Use Cases:
- This step delivers information on who currently has access to sensitive data.
- It creates an audit trail you can reference during reviews or investigations.
📌 Prerequisites:
- This step requires administrative rights on file servers, storage platforms, or both.
- You should be familiar with exporting ACLs or sharing reports.
- You should have a tool ready (like Excel or NinjaOne Docs) to store and organize exported data.
Here’s how to export current file permissions for different platforms:
| Scope | Action |
| Windows PowerShell | Here’s a sample PowerShell script that retrieves the ACL for a file or folder. You can replace Finance with any folder path, such as HR or ClientX.
|
| Google Workspace | In Google Workspace, you can click Admin console > Reports > Audit log > Drive. There, you can filter file-sharing events and export the report. |
| Microsoft 365 | You can export Microsoft OneDrive/SharePoint permissions from the Security & Compliance Center. |
Step 3: Validate file access against business roles
Once permissions have been exported, the next step is to compare them with the current business roles. Validation ensures that only the right people will have access while also catching accounts that should no longer exist.
📌 Use Cases:
- This step ensures users only have the file access required for their job responsibilities.
- It helps you identify stale or orphaned accounts, including users who have left the company.
- It highlights mismatches between business needs and actual file permissions.
📌 Prerequisites:
- You will need role rosters from HR or a central identity system.
- You must have job descriptions or role definitions to confirm what file access each role requires.
Here’s a table that will help you validate access against business roles:
| Task | Action |
| Compare role rosters | Compare exported permissions with HR-provided lists of active employees |
| Check group memberships | Check departmental or AD groups to confirm members still match the current staff |
| Read job descriptions | Ensures permissions line up with documented job duties |
| List orphaned accounts | Flag stale accounts that show up in ACLs |
Step 4: Document findings in a file-sharing access review checklist
When you audit file share access, capturing findings in a structured checklist will make the review consistent and repeatable. This ensures corrective actions are logged and approved.
📌 Use Cases:
- This step keeps reviews standardized, so nothing is missed.
- It creates documentation that can be shared with auditors or leadership.
- It provides accountability by recording corrective actions and approvals.
📌 Prerequisites:
- You will need a template or tool (like Excel, NinjaOne Docs, or IT Glue) to capture review items.
- You must have access to the exported permissions and validation reports from previous steps.
| Checklist item | What to do |
| Identify and categorize folders | List all shared folders and classify them accordingly (for example, HR, Finance, Client Data) |
| Export permissions | Attach or link the exported ACLs, sharing reports for each folder |
| Validate access | Confirm each listed user still requires access for their current role |
| Remove/reassign stale permissions | Revoke access for inactive accounts, or reassign if responsibilities have changed |
| Document corrective actions | Record what was changed and detail the reason, creating an audit trail. |
| Obtain manager sign-off | Have department managers approve the review results |
Step 5: Report results and track changes
Once reviews are complete, the findings have to be recorded and tracked. You can create a File Access Review Register to ensure all changes are documented, approved, and available for audits or quarterly business reviews (QBRs).
📌 Use Cases:
- This step provides a single record of access reviews across an organization.
- It ensures transparency and accountability when permissions are changed.
📌 Prerequisites:
- You’ll need a structured template and a central file register. This can be on Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or NinjaOne Documentation.
- You must have approval from department managers and data owners.
Your File Access Review Register should contain the following info:
- The folder or data being reviewed
- Users with current access
- Justification or owner approval for each user’s access
- Action taken (retain or remove access)
Be sure to store these registers securely so they can be referenced during file access audits or QBRs.
⚠️ Things to look out for
| Risks | Potential Consequences | Reversals |
| Incomplete exports | Reviews could miss folders or platforms, leading to false conclusions. | Double-check all storage locations to ensure everything is included. |
| Unused or orphaned accounts | Departed employees or unused accounts may keep access to sensitive data, exposing the SMB to data breaches. | Cross-check exported lists with employee rosters and disable unused accounts. |
| Poor documentation | Lack of records can make audits and QBRs unreliable. | Maintain an accessible central register with manager sign-off and corrective actions. |
Best practices for creating a file access review checklist for SMB environments
A successful SMB file permission review process depends on consistent practices that keep work straightforward, repeatable, and aligned with business needs. The table below highlights some of the key practices and the value they bring:
| Practice | Value delivered |
| Define review scope | Focuses efforts on sensitive data |
| Export permissions | Provides an accurate baseline |
| Validate against roles | Ensures users will only have the required access for their job |
| Use a structured checklist | Standardizes consistency across reviews |
| Track results and sign-offs | Builds audit-ready evidence |
Automation touchpoint example for file access reviews
Automation can reduce the manual effort of recurring file access reviews. Scheduling exports and centralized documentation can make the process consistent and scalable.
- You can automate ACL exports with scheduled PowerShell scripts.
- You can use Google Workspace Admin or Microsoft 365 Security & Compliance exports monthly.
- For centralized evidence tracking, you can feed results into NinjaOne Docs.
NinjaOne integration ideas for file access reviews
NinjaOne can streamline file access reviews by automating exports, centralizing evidence, and linking remediation tasks to your workflows. This makes reviews easier to repeat and demonstrates governance maturity to clients.
- NinjaOne can automate scheduled tasks for ACL and permission exports.
- With NinjaOne, you can securely store checklists, registers, and evidence in NinjaOne Documentation.
- It can create tickets for remediation actions, such as removing orphaned permissions.
- NinjaOne can generate QBR-ready reports that show progress in governance and compliance.
- It can also track recurring review tasks as part of compliance workflows.
Strengthen SMB security with a file access review checklist
A file access review checklist will give SMBs a repeatable, lightweight governance process to ensure file access stays aligned with their business needs. With built-in tools and documentation, MSPs can ensure users have only the access required for their roles, reduce insider risk, and strengthen compliance. Most importantly, sensitive data will be secured.
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