1. Enhanced security: Data Sharing Rules help restrict access to sensitive information, ensuring that only authorized personnel can view or modify certain data in a module.
   
   
2. Privacy compliance: They enable organizations to comply with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) by controlling access to personal or confidential data.
   
   
3. Customization: Organizations can adjust and set access rules to match their unique workflows and security requirements, preventing data breach and security lapses.
   
   
4. Improved collaboration: Data Sharing Rules strike a balance between security and collaboration, allowing team members to access and work on shared data while maintaining controlled access.
   

Record and module access using data sharing rules

• Private: The record owner and their superior can view the record. The admins can also view all the records in a department. For example, with Private access to Tickets module, the ticket owner, their superiors, and the admin have full access to the tickets. 
  

Support administrator permission: An edge case

In all modules (standard and custom) including Tickets module even if the access permission is set to Private, the support admins can view all the tickets within a department. The data sharing rule will override the access restriction that is expected to follow based on the role hierarchy.

For example, a support rep who has admin profile will be able to view all the tickets in the department, even if their role hierarchy is as follows: support manager > support rep > trainee. 

This is particularly important considering that admins are involved with monitoring SLA violations, accuracy of resolutions provided to the customer, modifying process workflows, and auditing the service quality parameters. 

• Public Read-only: Users can only view others' records but cannot modify and delete the records. For example, with Public Read-only access to Tickets module, all support team members can see the tickets, but they can't change or delete them.
  
  
• Public Read/Write/Delete: Other users within the department can view, modify and delete the records. For example, with Public Read/Write/Delete access to Tickets module, any team member can view, update, or close a ticket as needed.

Points to remember

• By default, all the modules have a Private option.
  
• If the Organization-wide permission is set as Public Read/Write/Delete, everyone can access and update all the users’ data. Role Hierarchy will not be applied in this case.
  
• If the Organization-wide permission is set as Read Only, everyone can only view the other users' records. In this case, other users cannot modify the owner's records.
  
• If the Organizational permission is set as Private, Role Hierarchy can be applied.
  
• In the Import History, records that belong to you and your subordinates (if any) will always be shown.
  
• All Attachments, Comments, and Time Entries belonging to a record are accessible if you can view that record.
  

To setup data sharing rules

1. Go to Setup (  ) > User Management > Data Sharing.
2. In the Data Sharing Settings page, click Edit Data Sharing.
   
3. In the Edit Default Organization Permissions page, update the Access Privilege for modules:
   
• Private
  
• Public Read Only
  
• Public Read/Write/Delete
  
4. Click Save.
   

Note: The organization-level data sharing permission is not supported for the following modules - Chat, Social, Community, Reports, and Dashboards.