Modern Attachments - Background
Terminology
When Outlook 2016 sends an attachment by default as an editable link, this is known as a 'modern attachment'. Harder to understand at first than a 'classic' attachment, modern attachments are best understood as a response to specific but significant problems.
The problems
When sending classic attachments to colleagues or external collaborators, a major issue is the duplication of files and the proliferation of changes that one individual then ends up having to rationalise back into a single document.
Another issue with classic attachments is that an attachment sent to five people is five files taking up five times the space and cluttering up five mailfiles.
How Modern Attachments solve these problems
Modern attachments solve these problems by keeping revisions and comments within the single original file. Modern attachments also solve the clutter and size bloat issue by only ever being one file. Modern Attachments also allow users to collaborate in real time on the files that are being 'attached' via a link, which would not work if the attachments were duplicate copies of the original.
To be able to open or edit the attachment, recipients need either an organisational Office 365 account or a Microsoft Account. If they don’t have either the link includes instructions on how to create one.
Classic Attachments
There are times when sending a classic attachment is exactly the right thing to do. And this can be done with just twofurther clicks. The thinking behind Microsoft making modern attachments the default option, is that if you tell people there is a better way to work long-term, but in the short term you are going to have to work out how to use it, then that feature is highly unlikely to be used. In Outlook 2016, the collaborative way to work is the default option, the classic method is 2 clicks away.
Security - Are Modern Attachments inherently less secure?
No. There are risks in sending all attachments.
The major risk of classic attachments is that once sent, they can be shared with anyone. Effectively they are public and beyond the organisation’s control.
This risk is in fact reduced by modern attachments. Forwarding is difficult unless the recipient logs in with their Microsoft Account, saves the document locally, and then attaches that version to the forwarded email. They can forward the link, but it will not work.
The risk with modern attachments is that a recipient can edit the attachment, perhaps maliciously. But because of version control, the version history keeps track ofchanges and whomade them. When sending a modern attachment, you are granting edit access to a recipient who creates a Microsoft Account linked ONLY to that recipient’s email address. Once that user has created a Microsoft Account then that person’s changes will be specifically recorded as a separate version of the document. The changed document will also retain the previous versions, allowing content creators to see what revisions have been made and by whom. When sending a modern attachment, it is also important to note that ONLY the file attached is available to that specific recipient, not the entirety of the folder or document library where the file resides.
Training
What cannot be denied is that Modern Attachments represent a significant change in working practice, and that all users will need to invest some time in acquainting themselves with both the new possibilities and the possible pitfalls. Modern attachments have been demonstrated numerous times at the Office 365 preview sessions and were dealt with extensively at both of Mondays drop-in sessions. There will be more sessions specifically on the new functionality and best practice later this week.
Existing Alternatives
Although there is no immediate way to turn off modern attachments, we already have the internally developed Office 365 Add-in which allows users to attach multiple ‘classic’ attachments without leaving Outlook. This add-in is already installed on all Office desktops and requires minimal zero training.