Administer reporting, tracking, and access of sensitivity labels and protected content

Sensitivity labels are tags applied to content like emails, documents, and other files, allowing teams to categorize and secure documents based on their level of sensitivity. These labels can enforce protection actions such as encryption, content marking, and access restrictions automatically. Labels are defined and managed through the Microsoft 365 compliance center.

Administering Sensitivity Labels

Administrators can create and manage sensitivity labels in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. When defining a label, you can set permissions for actions such as view, edit, and share. Once labeled, content can be tracked and controlled throughout its lifecycle.

To create a sensitivity label, follow these general steps:

1. Navigate to the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
2. Select “Information protection” from the solutions section.
3. Click on “Labels”, and then on “Create a label”.

When configuring labels, consider:

• Content marking by adding headers, footers, or watermarks.
• Encryption to limit access to labeled content.
• Access restrictions for content within managed applications.

Tracking and Reporting on Labeled Content

Tracking labeled content is essential for ensuring your organization’s data remains protected and for compliance purposes. Reports can provide insights into how content is being labeled and accessed.

The Content explorer within the Microsoft 365 compliance center is a tool for this purpose:

• Navigate to “Data classification” and select “Content explorer”.
• Apply filters to view labeled content and understand how information is being handled.

Activity logs are also available and show interactions with sensitivity labeled content:

• Visit “Audit log search” under “Search” in the compliance center.
• Filter by activities related to sensitivity labels to track access and changes.

For example, administrators can pull a report to see who accessed a highly confidential document in the last month and what changes, if any, were made to the document’s label.

Access Management of Labeled Content

Access to sensitivity-labeled content can be managed directly within the label settings. Administrators can define who has permissions to view, edit, delete, or share labeled content, ensuring sensitive information stays in the right hands.

Some settings include:

• Access by internal users vs. external users: Define different levels of access.
• Offline access to documents: Decide whether labeled content can be accessed without an internet connection.

For instance, a document labeled as “Confidential” might allow all employees to view it, but only members of the HR department might have editing permissions.

Monitoring and Auditing Sensitivity Labels

To support ongoing protection and compliance, monitoring and auditing are key components. Monitoring ensures that sensitivity labeling is being applied correctly, while auditing provides records of all interactions with labeled content.

In terms of auditing, the label activity can be aggregated and analyzed through Microsoft 365 audit logs, where information such as label application, changes, and access to content can be scrutinized.

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

Sensitivity labels assist in meeting various compliance and regulatory requirements. As part of managing sensitivity labels, it’s important to review the organization’s compliance needs and ensure that labeling policies meet those standards. The regulatory compliance dashboard in the Microsoft 365 compliance center can help you assess your compliance posture.

Best Practices and Recommendations

When managing sensitivity labels and protecting content, here are some best practices:

• Regularly review and update labeling policies: Business needs and compliance standards evolve, requiring updates to labels and policies.
• Educate users on the importance of labeling: User adoption is critical for the effective classification of data.
• Utilize automation: Implement rules that auto-apply labels based on predefined criteria, reducing the dependency on users for manual labeling.
• Ensure uniformity across devices and applications: Labels should be consistent and enforceable across all endpoints where sensitive data might exist.

Tracking, reporting, and managing access to sensitivity labels and protected content are key responsibilities for a Microsoft Information Protection Administrator. An in-depth understanding of these hierarchical processes helps maintain data security, supports regulatory compliance, and enables organizations to safeguard their sensitive information successfully.