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no file sharing features, please!

  • 7 June 2022
  • 6 replies
  • 196 views

Hi,
Please DO NOT add features that allow loading or sharing of file inside Miro.
Many companies have strict policies against file sharing, and they block firewalls for any tools that has these features. For example, banks, and some government agencies.

I have already encountered a couple of companies that are blocking access to Miro.
Any additional feature to load files or share files within a board would cause more companies to block access to it.

I like Miro as an effective and simple tool to run a virtual whiteboard. We can always use other tools for file sharing, for video conferencing, etc. No need to have everything inside Miro.

Thanks for listening.
Best regards,
Valerio

6 replies

Véronique Carbonneau
Userlevel 5
Badge +3

Hi,
Please DO NOT add features that allow loading or sharing of file inside Miro.
Many companies have strict policies against file sharing, and they block firewalls for any tools that has these features. For example, banks, and some government agencies.

I have already encountered a couple of companies that are blocking access to Miro.
Any additional feature to load files or share files within a board would cause more companies to block access to it.

I like Miro as an effective and simple tool to run a virtual whiteboard. We can always use other tools for file sharing, for video conferencing, etc. No need to have everything inside Miro.

Thanks for listening.
Best regards,
Valerio

Maybe this could be a “secure option” to enable with some clients.. because for my purpose with Miro.. I really need to use Miro as a place to share doc and have a common vision on them to work on and brainstorm. 

Robert Johnson
Userlevel 7
Badge +12

@Valerio Zanini - It sounds like you are suggesting a feature in Miro where a an admin could disallow the uploading of documents to Miro boards?

If so, I will convert this post to a Wish List Idea post where others can upvote it for consideration for future development.

More on Wish List ideas here → https://community.miro.com/community-welcome-guide-14/wish-list-everything-you-need-to-know-1099

Visual Thinker | Volunteer Community Moderator
Robert Johnson
Userlevel 7
Badge +12

@Véronique Carbonneau

Maybe this could be a “secure option” to enable with some clients.

Agreed. I would upvote an idea where a Miro subscription Admin could disallow the uploading of documents.

As for other file sharing apps, e.g., Google Drive or OneDrive: admins can already configure a plan to block/require approval of the installation of apps that have to do with online file/document sharing. However, this still does not mean that someone cannot simply paste a link on a Miro board (or anywhere else on the Internet) to a document. Ultimately the security of data outside of Miro’s infrastructure is up to the organizations who host/own the data.

@Valerio Zanini:

I have already encountered a couple of companies that are blocking access to Miro. Any additional feature to load files or share files within a board would cause more companies to block access to it.

Some may, some may not. Saying they would is pure speculation. Companies may already be blocking Miro (and other tools) simply because it is so easy to use them, e.g., someone could paste corporate data from spreadsheet onto a Miro board, or take screen shots of confidential information and paste it onto a Miro board. Users who are not government by company policy should be free to use Miro as they choose.

Visual Thinker | Volunteer Community Moderator
V

@Robert Johnson Admin blocking access to file sharing may work for internal Miro users but it would not solve the problem for everyone. Let me explain:

The problem is that in many ways Miro is often used by people outside an organization to conduct workshops, meetings, training within an organization. Think about consultants.

Their admin settings cannot be controlled by the organization, and the only way for the organization to control the file sharing risk is to disable access to outside Miro at all. Internal users may have access to internal Miro boards with file sharing disabled by the admin, but all outside Miro boards would be blocked. This would prevent external consultants, trainers, and coaches to use Miro effectively with their clients.

This happened to me today. A client of mine has blocked access to external Miro board, only allowing internal (SSO) users to access internal boards. Long story short, I wasn’t able to conduct a workshop with my client.

This was the first time it happened, and I am afraid it may become more frequent if company admins start perceiving Miro collaboration tools as risky. If that happens the usefulness of Miro for consultants and trainers will quickly fade, and we’ll have to find another whiteboarding tool WITHOUT collaboration features that admins need to control.

I’m a big fan of Miro, but am also very concerned about what company admins may perceive as “risky” and start blocking access to Miro. When this happens, the value of Miro as a collaboration tool will decrease to be only an “internal” collaboration tool.

A feature that many company admins perceive as risky is file sharing. That’s my argument, supporting this would strongly limit Miro adoption and unnecessarily create constraints that don’t need to be there.

 

D
Userlevel 3
Badge

@Valerio Zanini Hi, I work in exactly the environment you describe, a very cyber security aware, public sector organisation where I frequently run workshops with external clients and with internal colleagues as part of my role.

Turning off file sharing on boards would be a major issue for me and I suspect for many others too, as those materials can be key to the activities being worked on / facilitated. 

My organisation has robust policies, processes and training so we are pretty well informed and trained on the issues. Our Miro admins have recently implemented Board Classifications and we are heading towards having users segregated in to workgroup and / or project teams which further minimises the possibility of Internal material being inadvertently shared externally.  

Clearly if someone wants to “sneak information out” of an organisation they will find ways to do so and depending on the organisation that may have consequences to them. Like others I have recently experienced many file sharing facilities being blocked and for a needed few I have had to make special requests to have temporary or ongoing access for legitimate business reasons, signed off by my manager.

So my plea would be, please don’t suggest turning off file sharing, as for some of us it is integral to our work. But, do work with your colleagues to keep confidential information safe. As with many things it can be a tricky balance.   

I hope that makes sense!

Henrik Ståhl
Userlevel 7
Badge +7

@Valerio Zanini I'm sorry, but this whole thing makes absolutely zero sense to me. You want an online collaboration tool to stop being a collaboration tool because you happen to work at a company with high security policies? My guess is that the vast majority of the 35+ million Miro users agree with me when I say this is a completely ridiculous request. 🙂

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