Check a File Before Sharing It

Confirm the purpose and recipient

Ask why the file is being shared and what the recipient needs. Check the person or group through a known route. A similar name or an unexpected request can lead you to choose the wrong destination.

The fictional example is a learner sharing a portfolio document with a mentor. The learner should confirm the mentor’s agreed contact route and choose the material relevant to the feedback requested.

Review what the file contains

Read the version you are about to share. Check for personal contact details, internal information, comments or material copied from another source that should not be included. Make a separate suitable copy where needed.

A portfolio example should not expose a former employer’s private records. Use invented or appropriately authorised examples. A quick glance at the filename is not a review of the contents.

Choose access deliberately

Check the sharing option before creating or sending a link. Consider whether access should be limited to particular people and whether viewing is sufficient. Use the tool’s official guidance when the permission settings are unclear.

For work material, follow the organisation’s approved sharing process. The RDE checklist records the decision and outstanding questions; it does not establish that a particular platform or permission setting is suitable for every document.

Verify before sending

Check the destination, attachment or link and intended access once more. If something is unclear, pause and confirm it. Do not use an unfamiliar message’s link as your only way to verify the sender.

Download the PDF or Word checklist. Use a fictional portfolio document and record any correction needed. If you discover that information was sent incorrectly, report it promptly through the appropriate support process rather than guessing how to handle it.

Source and practice note

NCSC online-safety resources provide the broader background; this sharing checklist is an original RDE practice aid. The examples and exercises are original RDE learning material. Follow your organisation’s procedures for work accounts and devices.

Read the NCSC guidance

Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.

Download and complete the exercise

Read or print the PDF

Download the editable Word document

Printable PDF and editable Word document. Version 2.0, 8 October 2026. Personal and internal organisational adaptation permitted with Jefferson Otonbara Imgbi author credit retained.