Protected by default: automatically labelling your SharePoint content

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Sensitivity label

Sensitivity labels are part of Microsoft Information Protection solution. They allow you to classify and protect your organization's data, by applying appropriate permissions and restrictions on content.  Sensitivity labels can be applied either by users or automatically.

Client-side vs Service-side

There are 2 options:

  • client-side labeling

 One is to offer suggestions and prompt users to label their content. That is client-side labeling when users edit documents or compose emails.

  • service-side labeling

The other is to automatically label all content without users' involvement. It will process up to 25 000 files a day. That option is called service-side labeling. 

How to steps

  1. Test your configuration in a simulation mode

  2. In Admin Center, under Information Protection, select Labels, and then Create Label

  1. Enter name and the description of the label

  2. You can choose either to encrypt your files (to set e.g. user permissions) or to mark their contents (to set watermarks, footers, etc), or both

  3. Finally, the option you have been waiting for  :)
    Select auto-labeling. Define conditions for the label. Make sure you create the sensitive info type beforehand.

  1. Choose the option you want: automatically apply the label (service-side labeling) or recommend it to users (client-side labeling)

  2. Create the label. Do not forget to Publish the label. When publishing, you have an option of applying a default label to all documents.

Limitations

  • Limited file types. Only Word, Excel, PowerPoint. PDFs and others will not be included in the automated labelling.
  • 25 000 files a day. If you are an organization that already has a bunch of data in their environment, you may wait for a while until your content is properly classified. 

See Also

Why choose MIP built-in labeling over the AIP add-in for Office apps