SDU’s Microsoft Office may only be used on SDU equipment maintained by SDU IT

What is changing

From 15 April 2026, SDU will cease to offer Microsoft Office for use on private equipment and on computers not maintained by SDU IT. Existing licences will be cancelled.

This decision was made by Committee for Information Security and Data Protection Committee (UID) at SDU.  

Why has it changed

The right to download and install the Office suite with an SDU licence on private computers stems from a period when the Office suite and data were not cloud-based. Today, the Office suite synchronises data from the cloud to the computer on which it is installed, and this occurs automatically. As such, access is now granted not only to the programme but potentially to all data to which a user may have access.

Installation of the Office suite on private equipment presents significant security and compliance risks for SDU. When SDU data is accessed from private equipment, SDU cannot control or document who actually has access to the data or how it is handled. This applies regardless of how the equipment is used on a daily basis.

Private equipment is not subject to the same level of security, monitoring, and management as SDU-administered equipment. This means that data may be accessed, stored, or exposed in ways that SDU cannot secure or supervise. Furthermore, private matters may inadvertently become intermingled with work data – for example, when private files are included in security scans or when personal information is introduced into SDU’s information infrastructure at Microsoft.

Moreover, it is contrary to SDU's current guidelines for the use of IT equipment, to make SDU software or data available on private equipment where access cannot be controlled.

On a computer not maintained by SDU IT, having SDU’s Office suite installed constitutes a security risk in the same manner as on private equipment, for example, if the computer is infected with vulnerabilities or malware that could directly affect data synchronised to the SDU computer.

Who/how does it affect All SDU employees who have a Microsoft Office suite with an SDU licence installed on a non-SDU computer, such as a private computer, will be affected.

Students at SDU are not affected by this restriction, and will continue to be able to install an Office suite on their computer for as long as they are students at SDU.

When the licence is cancelled, the Office suite will not be removed from the computer, but it will request a licence and will not possess its usual functionality.

What are the options for access to an Office suite on a private computer

If you do not require the full Office suite for private use, you may access a simple online version of the Office products using a private Microsoft account at Office.com . If you do not have a private Microsoft account, you must create one yourself and must not use your SDU account.

If you wish to retain access to the fully installed Office suite for private use, you must purchase a subscription. As an employee at SDU, you have the opportunity to acquire Microsoft 365 licences with a 30% discount by using Microsoft’s Workplace Discount Programme . Please note that it is necessary to complete the process of verifying eligibility in order to obtain the discount.

Again, you must use a private Microsoft account and create one if you do not already have one.

It will not be possible to link your SDU OneDrive to a private or non-SDU maintained computer. The installed Office suite is therefore exclusively for non-SDU use. With your private Office suite and associated OneDrive, you will not be able to access SDU data, nor will you be able to link or share data with your SDU OneDrive.

Please be aware of local SDU data on the computer

For reasons of information security and practicality, you must ensure that SDU data is removed from your private computer, and that all your SDU data is stored and accessible only from an SDU-maintained computer.

How can I get assistance If you require guidance for the transition phase, you may always contact the Service Desk . If you have questions or comments regarding the overall decision, you are welcome to contact Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) in SDU IT at grc@sdu.dk