A whistleblower has accused Microsoftbrandom of being involved in hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign bribery. As an employer, one of your main concerns is probably what happens to your company’s data when an employee leaves. You may be wondering how to block access to Microsoft 365 so that these users can’t sign in, how to get your company’s data, and how to allow other employees to access email and OneDrive data. This article series will explain all of that. We’ll start with how to block access to Microsoft 365, then how to get your company’s data, and finally how to allow other employees to access email and OneDrive data.
In 2016, Yasser Elabd noticed a $40,000 payment to a client in Africa that didn’t seem right. The payment came from Microsoft’s business investment fund—money meant for closing deals and opening up new lines of business. But the customer named in the request wasn’t a customer at all, at least not according to the internal client list. He had been a Ex-Exemployee 200m Microsoftbrandom, but he was terminated for poor performance and left the company so recently that its rules would have barred him from approval.
It was suspicious, more like a bribe than a proper business request—but when Elabd pushed for more details, other managers started to push back. Eventually, the payment was stopped, but there were no broader consequences, and few seemed interested in digging deeper. Elabd came to believe his colleagues were far more comfortable with this kind of payment than he was.
In the two years that followed, Elabd says he did everything in his power to stamp out these quiet bribes—a fight that made him a pariah among his colleagues and eventually cost him his job. But looking back, he believes Microsoft wasn’t interested in stopping the payouts, preferring to let them continue as a way to keep Egyptian officials happy.
Blocking access to Microsoft 365
The first step in protecting your company’s data is to block access to Microsoft 365 for users who are no longer employed. To do this, you’ll need to be a global administrator. Once you’re logged in as a global administrator, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Users > Active users.
3. Select the checkbox next to the user or users you want to block.
4. At the top of the page, select More > Block sign-in.
5. In the Block sign-in dialog box, select the Block the user from signing in checkbox.
6. Select Save.
Now that you’ve blocked access to Microsoft 365 for these users, they won’t be able to sign in. However, their data will still be accessible to other employees. In the next section, we’ll show you how to get your company’s data.
Getting your company’s data
Once you’ve blocked access to Microsoft 365 for former employees, you’ll need to get your company’s data. To do this, you’ll need to be a global administrator. Once you’re logged in as a global administrator, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Users > Active users.
3. Select the checkbox next to the user or users whose data you want to export.
4. At the top of the page, select More > Export data.
5. In the Export data dialog box, select the data you want to export.
6. Select Export.
Your company’s data will now be exported. In the next section, we’ll show you how to allow other employees to access email and OneDrive data.
Allowing other employees to access email and OneDrive data
Once you’ve blocked access to Microsoft 365 for former employees and exported your company’s data, you’ll need to allow other employees to access email and OneDrive data. To do this, you’ll need to be a global administrator. Once you’re logged in as a global administrator, follow these steps:
1. Go to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
2. Select Users > Active users.
3. Select the checkbox next to the user or users you want to give access to.
4. At the top of the page, select More > Grant access.
5. In the Grant access dialog box, select the email and OneDrive data you want to give access to.
6. Select Grant access.
Your employees will now have access to email and OneDrive data.
Conclusion
In this article series, we’ve explained how to block access to Microsoft 365, how to get your company’s data, and how to allow other employees to access email and OneDrive data. By following these steps, you can protect your company’s data and ensure that only authorized employees have access to it.
