Audit shared file permissions

Before I send the permission report to Security, make the findings easy to action: surface the top ten files with external access, show which owners can revoke those links, and flag files shared with anyone outside the company who hasn’t accessed them in 90 days. Call out permissions that look inconsistent with file sensitivity.

Security just escalated an external link to a product spec and I can’t find the file owner in our records. I can see the file path but not who last changed sharing. I’m afraid we’ll miss the audit window. What’s the most likely reason the owner is missing and the fastest next step to identify who can revoke access now?

Every quarter the permissions audit turns into a two-week chase: owners don’t reply, there are many stale external links, and remediation drags on. Where are we losing time and authority, and what one habit or small operational change will make future audits finish in days not weeks?