LionMail Drive/Google Drive may be used to store most types of data, including confidential data, with the exception of: 

  • Personal Health Information
  • Credit Card numbers
  • Social Security Numbers
  • Drivers License/Passport Numbers
  • Human Subject Research Data

Full a complete description of the security and data restrictions on LionMail Drive, please consult CUIT's LionMail Drive Requirements


Please also consult CUIT's LionMail Drive information page for complete description of its capabilities, restrictions, and for a variety of usage guides for different use cases: LionMail (Google) Drive


For all other types of data, you may easily create a folder and securely share it with specific individuals as follows:

  1. Login to Google Drive at drive.google.com
    1. Make sure that you are logged in with your Columbia account. You should see "LionMail @ Columbia" in the top-right corner:
    2. If you do not see LionMail@Columbia, then click on the colored circle and choose your UNI@columbia.edu account from the list of available accounts, or click "Add Another Account" and enter your UNI@columbia.edu as the email address. This will redirect you to the CUIT Sign-On page

  2. Click the "New" button:

  3. Click "Folder" from the menu:

  4. Give the folder a name -- this name will be visible to the users you share the folder with:
  5. You will now see the folder you created (in this example, "Test Folder") listed in your google drive:

  6. You can right-click on this folder to configure the sharing options:

  7. Click "Share" and the sharing settings window will appear:
  8. You may enter any user's UNI@columbia.edu email address in this box, and the folder will be shared with them. They will be able to view and modify any documents or subfolders contained within this folder. You may restrict individual file permissions, or subfolder permissions, by right-clicking on them and clicking "share" to modify the sharing settings.

  9. Click "Advanced" in the share box reveals a larger set of options:
  10. The advanced settings allow you to "Prevent editors from changing access and adding new people" -- this will prevent users who can view this folder from sharing it with others without your permission. You may also click the drop-down pencil icon next to a specific user and modify their access rights, or set an expiration date for their access.

  11. When sharing the folder with new users, it is important to be sure to have the "Notify People" box checked. This will send them an email with a link they may click on to view the contents of the shared folder:
  12. You may give new users access to this folder, or remove access for existing users, by right-clicking the folder on Google Drive and adjusting the "advanced" sharing settings.