Sharepoint Library document security

Question

I am hoping there is some help out there with this question.

Currently we are configuring a specific library we have set up on SharePoint to act as our IMS (Integrated Management System) Document library. This will hold all 'corporate' approved documents such as policies, procedures, forms etc and we are having a little trouble with the security around this.

For the static documents (i.e. not forms or templates) I think our solution will be to password protect these one saving prior to upload to SharePoint - this will ensure that when opening in either browser or local application that the user cannot edit the document and save back to the library (as we want to keep this closed down and controlled!). IS there a better way to control that through SharePoint so we don't need to enforce a policy which can be captured automatically?

Also, the further issue we are having is with forms. Currently these are saved with security set to allow people to 'fill in forms' however when downloading from sharepoint these can be edited in the form fields, however if the user saves this, it will overwrite the copy on the IMS library and start off an approval workflow. I know document collaboration is a key SharePoint trait however in this instance we need to provide users with forms they can save and use locally and access the most up to date procedures to go along with then.

Requirements being that: any 'IMS' documents cannot be amended or uploaded by the user Forms can be filled in through the form fields only but not saved to the IMS document library.

Any help with this would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Answer 1

For the first part of your problem (leaving the files available for reading and not for editing) there is a much easier way which is by design.

The assumed scenario is that all those files are word/powerpoint/excel documents (not PDF)

It is best implemented when you have Office Web Application so you can set the security to VIEW ONLY (view on Office web Applications) which means that every user can navigate the documents and cannot save them or edit them. They are viewed in the browser.

The Office Web Applications have been around for 5 years now and I have seen them on Sharepoint 2010 and 2013. They are 'free' in virtue of you having the volume license for Microsoft Office Professional. In version 2010 they are installed as 'services', in 2013 they require a server on their own.

Even tho you do not have Office web application, setting the security as VIEW only (which is more restrictive than read) will open the file as a read-only file.

I do not understand the second part. Are those forms made in Infopath or Word or else?