SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator

Plan for records management

Tutorial / Cram Notes

Planning for records management is an essential aspect to cover as it pertains to understanding and implementing information governance strategies in the Microsoft 365 environment. Records management is a critical component, which involves the proper handling of information within an organization to meet regulatory, legal, and business recordkeeping requirements.

A well-crafted records management plan should encompass the following elements:

1. Identify the Types of Records:
Begin by classifying the different types of records your organization handles. These can range from employee records, financial documents, contracts, to communication and operational data. Microsoft 365 provides tools to identify and classify these records accurately.

2. Establish Record Management Policies:
Creating policies involves determining how long different types of records need to be retained (retention periods) according to legal, business, or regulatory needs. Microsoft 365 retention policies can help automate this process by setting retention or deletion protocols based on the type of information.

3. Apply Labels and Classifications:
With classification labels in Microsoft 365, you can tag content so that retention policies can be applied appropriately. For instance, documents containing sensitive financial data may be labeled as “Confidential Financial Records” with a certain retention period.

4. Records Declaration:
Decide on the criteria for when a document becomes a record. In the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center, users or administrators can declare records manually or automatically based on specific conditions.

5. Implement Retention Schedules:
Set up retention schedules that are consistent with your records management policies. Microsoft 365 allows you to define retention policies to automatically manage the lifecycle of documents and emails.

6. Ensure Compliance and Security:
Your plan must include measures to protect records from unauthorized access or alteration. Microsoft 365 provides security capabilities such as encryption, access controls, and audit logs to help secure records.

7. Train Users:
Providing training to users who will be handling records is vital. They need to be aware of the policies in place, how to classify information correctly, and the importance of compliance.

8. Perform Ongoing Maintenance:
Records management is an ongoing process. Continuous monitoring and adjusting the system is necessary as business needs, and legal requirements change. Use the compliance features in Microsoft 365 to review and update your records management practices.

9. Dispose of Records Properly:
When records reach the end of their retention period, they should be disposed of in a secure manner. Microsoft 365 retention policies can also help automate the disposition process.

Tables are a great way to break down comparisons or outline complex information, such as in the following examples:

Table 1: Example of Retention Labels and Corresponding Actions

Label Name	Retention Period	Action After Retention Expires
General Business Documents	5 Years	Review then Delete
Financial Records	7 Years	Automatically Delete
Employee Records	10 Years	Secure Disposal

Table 2: Example of Security Features for Records

Feature	Description
Encryption	Protects data at rest and in transit
Access Controls	Determines who can view or edit specific records
Auditing and Reporting	Keeps track of who accesses or modifies records

In conclusion, creating a detailed plan for records management is integral to passing the SC-400 exam. The key is to understand the functionalities and capabilities of the Microsoft 365 suite concerning records management and ensuring that they are effectively enforced throughout your organization. Your plan should cover the lifecycle of records from creation or capture, through maintenance and use, to their final disposition. By doing so, you can guarantee that your organization’s records are managed in a compliant, secure, and efficient manner.

Practice Test with Explanation

To answer these questions on Microsoft 365’s records management features:

The correct response to the True or False question on File Plan Descriptors being customizable is:
True – File Plan Descriptors are fields within Microsoft 365’s Records Management feature, which you can adjust to better categorize and manage records according to your organization’s specific needs.

Microsoft 365’s records management solutions are designed to manage:
b) Electronic records – Microsoft 365 primarily facilitates the management of electronic records. While it does not directly handle physical records, organizations can integrate external systems to manage them within Microsoft Personal user data falls under compliance management but isn’t the specific focus of the records management tools.

True or False: Authenticity of records requires preserving content, metadata, and context.
True – To ensure that records are authentic and trustworthy, it’s imperative to maintain all facets, including the content itself, associated metadata, and the context of the records’ creation and usage, to provide a thorough understanding of the record’s life cycle.