Security overview
Last updated: October 16, 2026
Our review tool is built so the most it reads is file names, paths and sharing details. We do not read file contents.
Access model
- Multitenant Microsoft Entra app, application permissions, admin consent only. No user passwords are handled.
- Read-only Microsoft Graph permissions:
Sites.Read.All,Directory.Read.All,AuditLog.Read.All,SharePointTenantSettings.Read.All. What these permissions allow. - Write calls are blocked in code. The Graph client only issues GET requests and refuses any other request type.
- Revocation: delete the enterprise application in Entra ID. When you remove our app from your tenant, it can't get new access, and any access already granted expires within about 90 minutes.
- Every review-tool API and report requires authentication; unauthenticated requests are refused.
Data handling
- Collected: site, folder and file names and paths; sharing-link type, scope and expiry; the email addresses a file is shared with; guest account names, email addresses, created and last sign-in dates; admin role membership; who granted consent to our app (from the Entra audit log); organization name; licence counts; tenant sharing settings.
- Never collected: file contents, email, chat, calendar, passwords.
Where data is stored
Review data is stored in Microsoft Azure (US West 3), encrypted at rest. Review findings and personal details in our review database get an extra layer of application-level encryption. The key is held in Azure Key Vault. Reports are generated on request from that database; we do not store separate report files. Nightly backups are kept in private Azure Storage (US West 3), encrypted at rest, and deleted after 14 days. Our website database, Neon Postgres (US West, Oregon), stores website leads, intake-questionnaire answers and portal accounts, and is encrypted at rest. Review results are not currently sent to it. If review results are later shown in the customer portal, the portal is designed to mask email addresses and sign-in names. Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+).
Secrets
Our review tool's runtime credentials are held in Azure Key Vault and read by the app through a managed identity. Some credentials, including website credentials held by our hosting provider, are stored outside Key Vault.
Operations
- Multi-factor authentication is required on all administrator accounts. Least privilege.
- We keep a record of each client authorization and each review (tenant and time); our platform providers keep logs for limited periods.
- Critical patches within 7 days, all others within 30.
- We notify affected customers promptly, and in any event within 72 hours of discovering a security incident that affects their data.
- TrueNorth is a veteran-owned small business. Security is run by the company owner, supported by automated tools. We do not hold security certifications or SOC 2 reports.
- Contact: hello@truenorthdatashield.com
What the permissions allow, in plain words
Microsoft does not offer a permission that shows only sharing settings. To see which files are shared and with whom, we use Sites.Read.All. Technically, that permission would also let an app open the contents of files in your SharePoint and OneDrive. Our review tool does not read file contents: it requests only file names, paths and sharing details, and the code has no function that downloads file contents. All four permissions are read-only, so the app cannot change, delete or share anything.
| Permission | What Microsoft allows | What TrueNorth actually reads |
|---|---|---|
Sites.Read.All | Read items, including file contents, in all site collections | Site, folder and file names and paths; sharing links, scope and expiry; who a file is shared with. Never file contents. |
Directory.Read.All | Read all directory data | Guests (names, emails, created dates), admin role holders, organization name, licence counts |
AuditLog.Read.All | Read audit and sign-in logs | Last sign-in dates of guests; who granted consent to our app |
SharePointTenantSettings.Read.All | Read tenant SharePoint settings | External sharing settings |
All are application permissions that need admin consent. You can remove all access at any time by deleting the app named "TrueNorth Exposure Scan" in Microsoft Entra ID (Enterprise applications).