Your work account has more personal data than you might think. A periodic audit keeps things tidy and reduces exposure if something is breached.

1. Email

The biggest data store:

  • Sent emails contain everything you've said
  • Received emails include attachments, sensitive info
  • Empty Junk and Deleted Items periodically
  • Archive old mail you don't need to access immediately

2. OneDrive

Personal-ish files:

  • Old project files
  • Personal docs that crept in
  • Downloaded reference materials

Review periodically. Delete what you don't need.

3. SharePoint sites

You may have access to:

  • Sites you joined years ago
  • Projects you no longer work on
  • Sites where you were a contributor

Audit your access — remove yourself from sites you no longer participate in.

4. Teams chats

Direct messages, group chats:

  • Old conversations stay forever by default
  • Search-only conversations from years ago
  • File attachments accumulated in chats

You can request mass deletion of old DMs.

5. OneNote notebooks

Personal notes:

  • Things written before, saved indefinitely
  • Outdated information that's misleading
  • Personal notes that shouldn't be on work account

Clean up periodically.

6. Calendar history

Past meetings:

  • Years of calendar entries
  • Subject lines may contain sensitive info
  • Attached files in meeting descriptions

Older than 12 months can usually be deleted.

7. Browser data

Saved on your work laptop:

  • Browser history
  • Saved passwords
  • Cookies
  • Autofill data

This is personal info that travels with the laptop if it's stolen. Periodically clean up.

8. Downloads folder

Often accumulates:

  • Random files downloaded over years
  • Sensitive documents
  • Installer programs

Move to OneDrive or delete.

9. Old laptops / devices

When you get a new laptop:

  • Don't just hand over the old one
  • Confirm the old one is wiped before disposal
  • Personal data lingers on hardware

10. Account audit checklist

Once a year:

  • Empty Deleted Items, Junk Email
  • Review files in personal OneDrive
  • Leave SharePoint sites you don't need
  • Update profile data
  • Generate fresh MFA backup codes
  • Review apps with access to your account
  • Update security questions if available
  • Confirm recovery contact info is current

Personal email vs. work email

Don't mix:

  • Keep personal accounts separate
  • Don't forward work email to personal
  • Don't sign in to personal accounts on work computers
  • Use a different password manager profile for each

Recoverable mistakes

If you accidentally signed in to personal accounts on work systems:

  • Sign out fully
  • Clear browser cache
  • Notify IT if it was sensitive personal info

When to ticket

Raise a ticket if:

  • You want a complete account audit assistance
  • You've accidentally mixed personal and work data
  • You need data recovery (lost a file, accidentally deleted)
  • Bulk cleanup is needed before changing roles

Include what you're trying to accomplish and timeframes.