Document Collaboration & Storage at KAUST

At KAUST, collaborating on documents is easier than ever with the tools available in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Whether you are working on research, administrative tasks, or teaching materials, it is important to store, share, and collaborate responsibly to protect data and ensure continuity.

If you are unsure which tool to use, this quick guide can help:

• OneDrive: Personal work files, drafts, and direct sharing with specific individuals
• SharePoint and Teams: Team-owned content, departmental documents, and anything that needs long-term access or continuity
• Google Drive: Lightweight collaboration using Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, when appropriate

If a file needs to remain accessible beyond one person, it should live in a shared, team-owned space.

When sharing documents, grant access only to those who need it. Avoid using “Anyone with the link” unless there is a clear and specific reason to do so. Improper sharing can lead to data loss, confidentiality breaches, or unintended access.

Good practices

• Share with named individuals or KAUST groups
• Apply the least level of access required (view or edit)
• Periodically review who has access to shared files

Things to avoid

• Using “Anyone with the link” by default
• Using personal OneDrive folders for departmental or operational processes
• Uploading sensitive content to broadly accessible or open locations

Retention and access

• OneDrive and SharePoint: Deleted files can typically be recovered for a limited time. For long-term access or departmental ownership, use SharePoint rather than personal OneDrive.
• Google Drive: When a community member leaves KAUST, their Google Drive content is deleted unless ownership is transferred beforehand.

Planning for continuity and transitions

To avoid disruption when roles change or people leave KAUST:

• Move important or shared documents out of personal storage and into team-owned spaces
• Transfer ownership of critical files and folders in advance
• Confirm that successors or teams have appropriate access

As a general rule, anything that supports an ongoing process, service, or research activity should be stored in a shared space rather than personal storage.

If documents contain sensitive, confidential, regulated, or export-controlled data, additional care is required.

• Use approved secure platforms designed for protected data
• Avoid sharing sensitive files using broad access links
• If you are unsure where data should be stored, contact IT or Information Security for guidance

• DataWaha: High-performance data storage and archival for large-scale research workloads
• Secure DataWaha: Enhanced access controls for regulated or sensitive research data
• External Data Sharing: Tools for transferring large scientific datasets securely with collaborators outside KAUST

• Store shared files in SharePoint or Teams to enable co-authoring
• Share links instead of emailing attachments
• Use comments and mentions to collaborate rather than creating multiple file versions
• Avoid file names like “final_v3” by working in shared documents

To protect business-critical data on KAUST desktops and laptops, Endpoint Backup (Atempo Lina) is available.

This service:

• Securely backs up data from KAUST computers to a central backup server
• Allows data restoration from any device using the Lina client or web portal
• Retains data for up to 60 days
• Encrypts data in transit and at rest
• Is accessible only through the KAUST network or VPN

If you are unsure which platform is appropriate for your needs, or how to share data safely, the IT Service Desk can help guide you to the right solution.