Design and create sensitivity labels

These labels can be applied manually by users, automatically by administrators, or a combination of both, ensuring that the correct level of protection is in place for sensitive information. The SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator exam tests the ability to design, implement, and manage sensitivity labels within an organization.

Understanding Sensitivity Labels

Before diving into the creation of sensitivity labels, it is important to understand what they are and why they are crucial. Sensitivity labels are part of Microsoft’s information protection framework used to classify and protect documents and emails by applying labels. These labels can include encryption, access restrictions, and visual markings such as headers, footers, or watermarks.

Creating Sensitivity Labels

Creating sensitivity labels involves several steps which include planning, configuration, and testing before deployment. Here’s how to design and create them:

Step 1: Identify the Types of Sensitive Information

Begin by identifying the types of sensitive data that need protection. This could be financial data, personal information, intellectual property, or any other type of data that is considered sensitive.

Step 2: Define Protection Actions and Rules

Determine what protection actions need to happen when a label is applied—like encryption, content marking, or access restrictions. Also, define the rules for when and how labels should be applied. This might be based on the content, the context, or even manually by the user.

Step 3: Create the Label

In the Microsoft 365 compliance center, go to Solutions > Information Protection and click on “Create a label”. Name your label and provide a description. The name should be clear and reflect the level of sensitivity, for example, “Confidential”, “Internal”, or “Public”.

Step 4: Configure Label Settings

Configure the settings for your label. Decide if the label should apply encryption, content marking, and access restrictions. Here are some examples:

• Encryption: Choose whether the document can be accessed only by certain people or groups within the organization.
• Content Marking: Add watermarks, headers, or footers to documents.
• Access Restrictions: Control which actions users can perform on documents, like editing, copying, or printing.

Step 5: Auto-labeling Policies

Auto-labeling is optional and uses rules and conditions to automatically apply labels to content. Set up conditions based on the presence of sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or social security numbers.

Step 6: Publish the Label

After creating the label and configuring its settings, publish the label to make it available for use. You can publish it to specific users, groups, or the entire organization.

Managing Sensitivity Labels

Once your sensitivity labels are created and published, they need to be managed and maintained. Here are some steps to manage them:

Review and Update Labels Regularly

Label definitions should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that they are still aligned with the organization’s policies and any regulatory changes.

Monitor Label Usage and Adoption

Use the reporting features within the compliance center to monitor how labels are being used across the organization. This helps in understanding if the labels are effective or if additional user training is needed.

Adjust Auto-labeling Policies as Needed

Based on the feedback and monitoring reports, auto-labeling policies might need adjustments to ensure that they are accurately identifying and classifying sensitive information.

Train Users

It’s crucial to train users on how to apply labels manually if this is part of your classification strategy. Users should be able to recognize the types of data that correspond to each label.

Implementing Sensitivity Labels Example

Let’s take an example of a finance department that handles sensitive data, such as financial reports and personal employee information. A possible set of labels for this department could be:

• Public: Used for non-sensitive data that can be shared publicly.
• Internal Only: Used for data meant only for internal company use.
• Confidential: Used for sensitive data that should only be accessed by the finance department.

Below is a table summarizing potential settings for these labels:

Conclusion

Designing and creating sensitivity labels requires careful planning and understanding of an organization’s data protection needs. By following the steps outlined above, organizations can ensure that their sensitive information is properly classified and protected. The SC-400 exam ensures that information protection administrators are proficient in these tasks, enabling them to create a secure information environment for their organizations.