I have a critical security question re 365

Medved, Maureen 0 Reputation points
2026-06-02T19:47:27.8933333+00:00

Hi

I have both personal and work 365. I do highly sensitive work and need to ensure that if I work on my iPad it is airtight re security. At work, all my devices are encrypted And secure. But the work 365 doesn’t have a license to edit using Word on an iPad. I purchased the personal 365, so I can edit on the iPad.

Here’s the problem: I’m taking highly sensitive info from one drive on the work account and importing those to the personal account for editing. My work asks: Does the personal account hold the work information?

Second question: If it does hold the work info, I will need to ask you how to delete all my work files from the personal file.

I’m leaving for a conference, so I need this handled immediately.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business | iOS

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  1. Ruby-N 13,320 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-02T21:22:27.4333333+00:00

    Good day @Medved Maureen, and I appreciate the clear explanation of your concern.  

    Just to gently clarify before we go any further, this is a user‑to‑user support forum. I don’t have the ability to access or investigate individual accounts because this is a user-to-user support forum. Moderators and contributors, including external Microsoft employees, do not have access to internal systems or the ability to directly take action on Microsoft product features. However, I truly hope I can help review your situation, offer some guidance, and support you in finding the right next steps as best as possible.   

    Certainly, if a work file is copied to your personal OneDrive, it becomes a separate copy stored outside your organization, so although accounts are separate and copying is possible, you shouldn't transfer sensitive company data unless your organization allows it. 

    Here are some possible workarounds that may suit your situation: 

    Option 1: Request proper licensing (Recommended) 

    I understand how urgent it is for you to edit your files before the conference, and how important it is to stay compliant with your company’s security policies, so the best approach would be to edit the Word file using your work account whenever possible. 

    Please consider reaching out to your organization’s IT administrator to request a license that supports editing Word files on mobile devices (such as Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Business Premium, or equivalent). 

    Once the license is assigned: 

    • Please allow a little time for the sync to complete. 
    • Sign out of the Word app on your iPad.  
    • Sign back in with your work account. 
    • You should then be able to edit files directly in a compliant and secure way. 

    Option 2: Use Word on the web (Secure alternative) 

    To avoid moving files outside your organization, use a company-encrypted and secure laptop or MacBook if available: 

    • Open a web browser, then go to the browser settings and clear browsing data. Set the time range to "All time" to avoid issues caused by outdated cache.       

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    • Go to https://www.office.com and sign in your work account.          
    • Select Apps > Open Word and edit the file directly online. 

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    Note: Some advanced features may be limited compared to the Word desktop app. 

    Option 3: Remove data from personal OneDrive (If already used) 

    Because this involves highly sensitive work information, I strongly recommend informing your IT administrator immediately so they can confirm your organization’s policy and advise whether any additional data protection or cleanup steps are required. 

    If you have already edited or stored work files in your personal OneDrive: 

    • Please upload or copy the updated file to your work OneDrive. 
    • Delete the files from your personal OneDrive. 
    • Go to Recycle Bin and permanently delete them. 

    Note: Even after deletion, your organization may still have logs or audit visibility if file transfer or sharing activities were tracked through security policies (e.g., audit logs) 

    I hope this helps clarify the situation and gives you a safe path forward before your conference. If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have any extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".            

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  2. Medved, Maureen 0 Reputation points
    2026-06-02T19:50:41.3333333+00:00

    Can I get a copy of this response

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  3. AI answer

    2026-06-02T19:47:39.8433333+00:00

    Yes. If files are copied or moved from the work OneDrive account into the personal Microsoft 365 account for editing, then the personal account and its storage (personal OneDrive, local cache on the iPad, and any backups) are holding work information. This breaks the normal separation between work and personal data that Microsoft services and apps are designed to maintain.

    For highly sensitive work, data should remain in the work environment:

    • Use OneDrive for work or school, which encrypts data in transit and at rest and is designed for organizational protection and compliance.
    • Keep work and personal accounts side by side, not merged, and avoid transferring work content into the personal tenant.

    To remove work files from the personal account, perform all of the following:

    1. Delete work files from personal OneDrive
      • In OneDrive (personal) on the web or app, locate any folders/files that came from the work account.
      • Delete them.
      • Go to the OneDrive Recycle Bin and delete them again to permanently remove them.
    2. Remove local copies on the iPad
      • In the OneDrive personal app on iOS, remove any files marked for offline use.
      • In the Word app on iOS, remove recent files that were opened from the personal account if they were saved locally or pinned.
      • If the device is managed by work, follow your organization’s guidance; otherwise, consider deleting and reinstalling the OneDrive personal and Word apps to clear cached content.
    3. Keep work and personal accounts separated going forward
      • Do not move or copy work files into the personal Microsoft account or personal OneDrive.
      • If editing on iPad is required for work, the organization should provide appropriate licensing or an approved secure method so that work content stays in the work tenant.

    Because the data is highly sensitive, confirm with the work security/compliance team whether additional steps (forensic checks, device wipe, or policy updates) are required to meet organizational policy.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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