Tutorial / Cram Notes
Retention labels in Microsoft 365 allow you to categorize content for compliance, with instructions to retain or delete the content after a specified period. Labels can be applied automatically by administrators, manually by users, or through auto-apply policies using conditions such as keyword matches or sensitive information types.
Creating Retention Labels
Start by creating retention labels in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. Navigate to the ‘Solutions’ section and select ‘Records management’. Choose ‘File Plan’ and then click on ‘+Create a label’. The process will guide you through defining retention settings, including:
- Name and description of the label
- Retention period, starting from when the content was created, last modified, or labeled
- Disposition action, such as review before disposal or automatically delete
Publishing Labels
After you’ve created labels, they must be published through a label policy to make them available to users and services across Microsoft 365. To create a label policy:
- Go to ‘Labels’ in the Records management section and select ‘Publish labels’.
- Choose the labels you want to publish and specify locations where the labels will be applied (e.g., SharePoint, Exchange).
- Set up rules for auto-applying labels if necessary, including conditions like content containing specific types of information.
Establishing Retention Policies
Retention policies provide an overarching structure for how labels are used within the organization. When you establish a retention policy, it includes the following steps:
- Indicate which locations the policy should apply to (e.g., SharePoint sites, user mailboxes).
- Decide whether to retain the content, delete it, or both when the retention period expires.
- Specify if users should be allowed to modify or delete content before the end of the retention period.
Monitoring and Managing Record Labels
Once labels and policies are in place, it’s vital to monitor them to ensure compliance. Regularly review label usage and the disposition of records. This can include:
- Checking label application: Confirm that labels are applied correctly across the content.
- Audit log reports: Use the auditing functionality to track when content is labeled, modified, or deleted.
- Disposition reviews: When records reach the end of their retention period and a review is required, ensure that the review process is carried out accurately.
Examples of Retention Labels and Policies
Retention Label Examples:
| Label Name | Description | Retention Period | Action After Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract_Retain | For legal contracts requiring long-term storage | 10 years | Review |
| Project_Archive | For completed project documents | 5 years | Delete |
| Employee_Records | For employment-related documents | 7 years | Delete |
Retention Policy Examples:
| Policy Name | Locations | Retention Period | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial_Documents | SharePoint, OneDrive | 7 years | Retain and Delete |
| Corporate_Communications | Exchange Email, Teams | 3 years | Retain and then delete automatically |
| HR_Policies | SharePoint Sites designated for HR | Permanent | Retain |
By understanding and configuring retention labels and policies, organizations can effectively manage their records in accordance with regulatory requirements and internal policies. This not only helps in minimizing risks associated with information governance but also makes the process of records management systematic and efficient. Through the SC-400 exam, Information Protection Administrators can validate their skills and knowledge in setting up and managing these processes within a Microsoft 365 environment to ensure their organization’s data governance complies with the required legal and regulatory standards.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: In Microsoft 365, labels must always be manually applied to documents and emails by the user.
False
In Microsoft 365, administrators can configure labels to be applied automatically based on certain conditions or metadata, in addition to allowing users to manually apply them.
A label that retains content for a specific period is known as a:
- A) Retention label
- B) Sensitivity label
- C) Deletion label
- D) Preservation label
A. Retention label
Retention labels in Microsoft 365 are used to manage the lifecycle of content by retaining or deleting it based on specific periods.
True or False: Once a label is published, it cannot be edited or deleted.
False
After a label is published, it can usually be edited or deleted. However, making changes to label settings may impact content where the label has already been applied.
Which feature can be used to automatically apply a retention label based on content types or specific keywords within a document?
- A) Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- B) Auto-apply label policy
- C) Content explorer
- D) Record declaration
B. Auto-apply label policy
Auto-apply label policies can be set up to automatically apply labels to content that meets specific conditions, such as content types or keywords.
True or False: Retention labels and sensitivity labels serve the exact same purpose in records management.
False
Retention labels are used for managing content lifecycle, such as retaining or deleting content after a certain period, while sensitivity labels are used for protecting content by applying encryption, access restrictions, or visual markings.
For a sensitivity label to encrypt emails automatically, what feature must be configured?
- A) A Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy
- B) A transport rule
- C) A label policy with encryption settings
- D) An Azure Information Protection (AIP) policy
C. A label policy with encryption settings
Sensitivity labels can be configured to encrypt emails by setting up a label policy with encryption settings, which will automatically apply encryption.
True or False: Microsoft 365 uses a ‘file plan’ to organize and manage retention labels.
True
A file plan in Microsoft 365 is a tool used to manage and organize retention labels effectively, often in compliance with organizational or regulatory requirements.
Which of the following options are available when creating retention labels in Microsoft 365? (Select all that apply)
- A) Retain content indefinitely
- B) Automatically delete content after a certain period
- C) Automatically declare content as a record
- D) Apply a watermark to the content
A, B, C
When configuring retention labels, you can set them to retain content indefinitely, delete content after a certain period, or declare it as a record. Applying a watermark is a function of sensitivity labels, not retention labels.
True or False: Sensitivity labels can apply a default label to a document library in SharePoint Online.
True
Sensitivity labels can be applied to a SharePoint Online document library to ensure that any document uploaded to the library is automatically labeled with the default sensitivity label.
What is the purpose of the ‘Disposition review’ feature in the context of retention labels?
- A) It triggers an automatic deletion of data
- B) It generates a report of all labeled items for auditing
- C) It allows designated reviewers to decide if content should be deleted or retained when the retention period expires
- D) It applies sensitivity labels based on content inspection
C. It allows designated reviewers to decide if content should be deleted or retained when the retention period expires
The Disposition review feature enables organizations to have content reviewed by one or more individuals to decide if it should indeed be deleted or retained after the expiration of its retention period.
When using Record Management in Microsoft 365, who can declare a document as a record?
- A) Only compliance administrators
- B) Users with the appropriate permissions
- C) Only global administrators
- D) Any user within the organization
B. Users with the appropriate permissions
Users with the appropriate permissions can declare a document as a record in Microsoft 365, highlighting its significance and enforcing stricter controls over its lifecycle.
True or False: When a sensitivity label is applied, it enforces encryption that cannot be removed by the end-user.
True
When a sensitivity label with encryption is applied to a document or email, the encryption protection travels with the content and cannot be removed by the end-user, ensuring that data remains protected regardless of its location.
Interview Questions
What is records management in Microsoft 365?
Records management is a feature in Microsoft 365 that allows organizations to identify, classify, and manage records across their lifecycle.
What are labels in records management?
Labels are used to classify records based on their content and context, and they enable organizations to automate records management tasks.
How can you create labels for records management in Microsoft 365?
Labels for records management can be created in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, using the Records Management option under the Information governance menu.
What are the different types of labels for records management?
There are three types of labels for records management retention labels, sensitivity labels, and event-based retention labels.
What is a retention label?
A retention label is used to define how long a record must be retained and whether it should be deleted or retained permanently after the retention period expires.
What is a sensitivity label?
A sensitivity label is used to classify records based on their level of sensitivity and determine how they should be handled and protected.
What is an event-based retention label?
An event-based retention label is used to define how long a record must be retained based on a specific event, such as a legal hold or a contract expiration.
How can you assign labels to records in Microsoft 365?
Labels can be assigned to records manually by users, automatically by policies, or through a combination of both methods.
How can you manage labels for records management in Microsoft 365?
Labels can be managed in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, using the Records Management option under the Information governance menu.
What is the difference between retention labels and retention policies?
Retention labels are used to classify records and define how long they should be retained, while retention policies are used to automate the application of retention settings to all content that matches specific conditions.
How can you verify that a label has been applied to a record in Microsoft 365?
The details of a record, including its labels, can be viewed in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, using the Content search option under the Content search menu.
How can you customize the labels for records management in Microsoft 365?
Labels can be customized by changing their names, descriptions, colors, and iconography, as well as by creating new custom labels.
What is a label policy in records management?
A label policy is used to define the set of labels that should be available for users to apply to records, as well as the conditions under which each label should be applied.
How can you create a label policy in Microsoft 365?
Label policies can be created in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, using the Label policies option under the Information governance menu.
What is the importance of records management in Microsoft 365?
Records management is important in Microsoft 365 to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and organizational requirements, as well as to manage the risks associated with data retention and disposal.
The process to configure labels for records management in Microsoft 365 seems complex. Does anyone have a step-by-step guide?
When configuring labels, don’t forget to define your retention policies. It’s crucial for maintaining compliance.
What are the best practices for naming conventions for labels in records management?
I followed all steps, but my labels are not appearing in the compliance center. Any idea why?
Thanks for the detailed blog post!
Can we use custom permissions for labels in records management?
Configured labels aren’t getting applied automatically. Any steps I might have missed?
Is there a performance impact when applying labels to large datasets?