Restricting PST File Exports in Outlook to Enhance Data Security

In today’s data-driven world, organizations place strong emphasis on safeguarding sensitive information and preventing potential data breaches.

One significant risk arises from the unauthorized export of PST files from the Outlook application, which can lead to unintended exposure of internal data.

This article explains the challenges associated with restricting PST file exports and provides clear steps to implement effective controls in both new Outlook and classic Outlook clients.

Challenges

Organizations often support multiple Outlook versions — the new Outlook (modern app) and classic Outlook clients (Outlook 2016, Outlook 2019, and Microsoft 365 Classic App).

Because these applications operate differently, separate methods are required to restrict PST export for each type:

New Outlook: Restrictions can be applied using an OWA mailbox policy in Exchange Online.
Classic Outlook: Restrictions can be enforced through Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in Active Directory.

Restricting PST Export in New Outlook

To restrict PST export in the new Outlook app, you can configure an OWA mailbox policy using Exchange Online PowerShell.

Step 1: Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell

  
    Connect-ExchangeOnline

Step 2: View Existing OWA Policies

To review existing policies, run:

  
    Get-OwaMailboxPolicy | fl Name, OutlookDataFile

Step 3: Create or Modify an OWA Mailbox Policy

You can either create a new OWA policy for specific users or modify the default one to apply the restriction organization-wide.

Create a new policy:

  
    New-OwaMailboxPolicy -Name "Legal-Department-OwaMailboxPolicy"

Configure PST export restriction:

  
    Set-OwaMailboxPolicy -Identity "Legal-Department-OwaMailboxPolicy" -OutlookDataFile NoExportNoOpenNoGrow

OutlookDataFile Parameter Options

Setting	Description
Allow	The default setting. Users can open, import, export, and copy items to/from .pst files.
NoExport	Prevents exporting data from a mailbox to a .pst file.
NoExportNoGrow	Prevents exporting or copying items to a .pst file.
NoExportNoOpen	Prevents exporting and opening new .pst files.
NoExportNoOpenNoGrow	Prevents exporting, opening, or copying items to .pst files.
Deny	Fully restricts access — users cannot open, import, export, or copy .pst files.

Step 4: Assign the Policy to a Mailbox

Apply the new OWA policy to the desired mailbox:

  
    Set-CASMailbox -Identity "[email protected]" -OwaMailboxPolicy "Legal-Department-OwaMailboxPolicy"

Verify the policy assignment:

  
    Get-CASMailbox -Identity "[email protected]" | Select OwaMailboxPolicy

Note: Policy changes may take up to 60 minutes to take effect.

Once applied, users in the new Outlook client will no longer see the PST export option, preventing data export through Outlook.

Restricting PST Export in Classic Outlook

For classic Outlook clients (Outlook 2016, 2019, and Office 365 Classic App), PST export can be disabled using Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in Active Directory.

Step 1: Prepare Administrative Template Files

Log in to the Active Directory (AD) server with the necessary permissions to create and edit GPOs.
Download the latest Office Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) from Microsoft: Download Office ADMX Templates
Copy the downloaded .admx and .adml files to: C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions

Step 2: Configure Group Policy

Open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC).
Create a new Group Policy Object (GPO) or edit an existing one.
Navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Outlook 2016 > Disable Items in User Interface > Custom > Disable command bar buttons and menu items.
Double-click Disable command bar buttons and menu items.
Set the policy to Enabled.
Click "Show".
In the Command IDs field, add the following value: 2577 (This command ID corresponds to the “Export to a file” option in Outlook.)
Click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Step 3: Apply and Test the Policy

Link the newly created GPO to the relevant Organizational Unit (OU) that contains the target user accounts.
Once the policy is applied, users within that OU will no longer see or be able to use the “Export” option in Outlook.

Conclusion

By combining Exchange Online OWA policy settings with Group Policy configurations, organizations can effectively block PST exports in both modern and classic Outlook clients.

This approach strengthens data governance, minimizes the risk of unauthorized data extraction, and enhances the overall security posture of the organization.