Tutorial / Cram Notes
Understanding Sensitivity Labels
Sensitivity labels are part of Microsoft Information Protection (MIP) solution, which allows the classification, labeling, and protection of documents and emails. This classification is persistent, remaining with the content no matter where it’s stored or with whom it’s shared. Labels can be applied manually by users, automatically by administrators, or a combination where users are given recommendations.
Planning for Sensitivity Labels
Before implementing sensitivity labels, plan your label strategy. Identify the types of information you need to protect and the levels of access and control required for different user groups. Common data types might include:
- Personal Identifiable Information (PII)
- Financial Records
- Legal Documents
- Health Records
- Intellectual Property
Based on the types of data, define the level of sensitivity—such as Public, General, Confidential, and Highly Confidential—and the corresponding controls that need to be applied.
| Data Type | Sensitivity Level | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| PII | High | Encryption, DLP |
| Financial Records | Medium | Access Restrictions |
| Health Records | High | Encryption, Access Restrictions |
Creating Sensitivity Labels
To create sensitivity labels:
- Go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
- Navigate to Solutions > Information protection.
- Click on “Create a label” and follow the prompts to name your label, add a description, and define the protection settings such as encryption and content marking.
Publishing Sensitivity Labels with Label Policies
Once labels are created, publish them using label policies:
- Under Information protection, choose “Label policies.”
- Click on “Publish labels” to initiate the wizard.
- Select the labels you want to publish and specify the locations (such as SharePoint sites or Exchange email) where the labels should be available.
Automating Label Application
To implement an automated and consistent labeling strategy, you can setup auto-labeling policies:
- Under Information protection, click on “Auto-labeling for files” or “Auto-labeling for emails” depending on your target.
- Configure the conditions that will trigger the automatic labeling—this might include detecting sensitive information types or specific keywords.
Monitoring and Adjusting Your Labeling Strategy
After implementation, monitoring label usage is key to ensuring policies are effective. Use the MIP analytics capabilities to track how labels are being used and adjust your strategy as needed:
- In the compliance center, navigate to Reports > Dashboard.
- Look for Information protection reports to review activities related to your sensitivity labels.
Designing User Training and Communication
For successful rollout of sensitivity labels, users must comprehend their importance and know how to apply them. Create a communication plan that includes training sessions, instructional materials, and regular updates about label usage.
Handling Special Cases with Conditional Policies
Sometimes different subsets of data might need exceptional handling. With conditional policies, you can mandate specific actions when certain conditions are met, such as applying a stronger label or alerting an administrator, when sensitive data is shared externally.
Conclusion
Implementing sensitivity labels and policies is central to managing and securing sensitive data within Microsoft 365. Careful planning, creation, publication, and monitoring of sensitivity labels and policies are essential to protect data effectively. Ensure your policies reflect the unique requirements of your organization’s data landscape, and continue to evolve your information protection strategy as your organization’s needs change. Successful implementation includes training and continual engagement with users to develop a culture of security and compliance.
Practice Test with Explanation
Sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 can be applied to content manually by users or automatically based on certain conditions.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Sensitivity labels can be applied by users manually or be set to automatically apply to content based on rules and conditions defined in Microsoft
Once applied to a document, a sensitivity label cannot be changed or removed by the end user.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: False
Explanation: End users can change or remove a sensitivity label from a document unless a label policy explicitly restricts this action with specific permissions or settings.
Which of the following can sensitivity labels be used to protect?
- 1) Emails
- 2) Documents
- 3) Teams, Groups, and Sites
- 4) All of the above
Answer: All of the above
Explanation: Sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 can be used to protect emails, documents, and containers like Teams, Groups, and Sites.
Sensitivity labels are applied directly at the Azure Active Directory level.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: False
Explanation: Sensitivity labels are not applied at the Azure Active Directory level. They are used within Microsoft 365 services and applied to content like emails and documents, as well as containers like Teams, Groups, and Sites.
To implement sensitivity labels, you must first create them in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: To implement sensitivity labels, you should create them in the Microsoft 365 compliance center or Microsoft 365 security center before applying them to content or containers.
What is the primary purpose of sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365?
- 1) To track document access
- 2) To categorize email and document content for organizational purposes
- 3) To enforce protection settings like encryption and content marking
- 4) To disable sharing of documents externally
Answer: To enforce protection settings like encryption and content marking
Explanation: The primary purpose of sensitivity labels is to enforce protection settings on email and document content such as encryption, access restrictions, and content marking.
You can use sensitivity labels to enforce content marking, such as adding a custom header, footer, or watermark to a document.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Sensitivity labels can enforce content marking by automatically adding a custom header, footer, or watermark to documents when the label is applied.
It is possible to set up a sensitivity label that automatically labels content based on the presence of sensitive information types.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Sensitivity labels can be configured to automatically label content based on the presence of sensitive information types identified by data classification services in Microsoft
Who can modify sensitivity label policies in Microsoft 365?
- 1) Any user in the organization
- 2) Only users in the IT department
- 3) Global administrators and compliance officers
- 4) Only the initial creator of the label
Answer: Global administrators and compliance officers
Explanation: Sensitivity label policies can generally be modified by global administrators, compliance officers, and other roles with the appropriate permissions in the organization’s Microsoft 365 environment.
Sensitivity labels can be integrated with Azure Information Protection for enhanced data protection.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Sensitivity labels can be integrated with Azure Information Protection to provide enhanced data protection across Microsoft 365 and Azure services.
Sensitivity labels can restrict access to content based on geographic location.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: False
Explanation: While sensitivity labels can enforce access restrictions, they do not inherently restrict access based on geographic location. This would require additional mechanisms, such as Conditional Access policies, and is not a direct feature of sensitivity labels.
When applied to Microsoft Teams, sensitivity labels can control guest access and membership settings.
- 1) True
- 2) False
Answer: True
Explanation: When applied to Microsoft Teams, sensitivity labels can govern settings that include guest access, external sharing, and membership requirements, helping to maintain the desired level of security for Teams and Groups.
Interview Questions
What are sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 compliance?
Sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 compliance are used to classify and protect content in Office applications, services, and devices by applying protection, marking, and visual labels.
How can you create sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 compliance?
You can create sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 compliance by going to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, selecting the Sensitivity label option, and then clicking on the Create a label option.
What is a sensitivity label policy in Microsoft 365 compliance?
A sensitivity label policy in Microsoft 365 compliance is used to enforce sensitivity labels across your organization, by defining the rules for applying labels to content.
What are the types of sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 compliance?
The types of sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 compliance are Retention labels
, Sensitivity labels
, Encryption labels
, Event-based labels
, Disabling labels
How can you configure sensitivity labels for SharePoint and OneDrive files?
You can configure sensitivity labels for SharePoint and OneDrive files by going to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, selecting the Sensitivity label option, and then clicking on the Label policies tab, and then selecting the location where the policy should apply.
What is the Azure Information Protection client?
The Azure Information Protection client is a software that helps to protect files and emails by applying labels, permissions, and encryption.
What are the requirements for using the Azure Information Protection client?
The requirements for using the Azure Information Protection client are Windows 7 SP1 or later
, .NET Framework 4.6 or later
, PowerShell 3.0 or later
, Internet Explorer 11 or later
How can you create an event-based label in Microsoft 365 compliance?
You can create an event-based label in Microsoft 365 compliance by going to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, selecting the Sensitivity label option, and then clicking on the Create a label option, and then selecting the Event-based label option.
What is a retention label in Microsoft 365 compliance?
A retention label in Microsoft 365 compliance is used to apply retention policies to content, by specifying how long the content should be retained and what should happen to it when the retention period ends.
What is encryption label in Microsoft 365 compliance?
An encryption label in Microsoft 365 compliance is used to apply encryption to content, by specifying how the content should be encrypted and what should happen to it when the encryption period ends.
How can you enforce sensitivity labels on Exchange emails in Microsoft 365 compliance?
You can enforce sensitivity labels on Exchange emails in Microsoft 365 compliance by going to the Exchange admin center, selecting the mail flow option, and then creating a transport rule that applies the sensitivity label.
How can you configure sensitivity labels for Microsoft Teams in Microsoft 365 compliance?
You can configure sensitivity labels for Microsoft Teams in Microsoft 365 compliance by going to the Microsoft Teams admin center, selecting the Teams settings option, and then selecting the Sensitivity labels option.
What is the difference between a retention label and a sensitivity label in Microsoft 365 compliance?
A retention label in Microsoft 365 compliance is used to apply retention policies to content, while a sensitivity label is used to classify and protect content.
How can you create a custom sensitive information type in Microsoft 365 compliance?
You can create a custom sensitive information type in Microsoft 365 compliance by going to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, selecting the Data classification option, and then clicking on the Sensitive information types tab, and then selecting the New option.
Can someone explain the best practices for implementing sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365?
I had some trouble understanding how sensitivity labels interact with DLP policies. Any insights?
Great blog post, really informative!
What are some common challenges faced when implementing sensitivity labels and how can they be mitigated?
Does anyone have experience using third-party tools to manage sensitivity labels and policies in MS-101?
Thanks for the insightful post!
I find it difficult to keep up with the constant updates in Microsoft 365. How do you all manage this?
I appreciate the detailed explanations in this blog, very helpful!