Sensitivity Labels - Microsoft Purview Information Protection Solution
This article provides insights on sensitivity labels in Microsoft Purview Information Protection solution that provide a powerful mechanism for organizations to categorize, protect, and manage their sensitive data, empowering them to balance information security with user productivity and collaboration.
What Are Sensitivity Labels?
Sensitivity Labels are classification markers used to identify and secure content according to its level of confidentiality. These labels allow you to categorize data based on its sensitivity level (e.g., General, Confidential, Highly Confidential). The sensitivity labels can be assigned to various types of your organization’s data—including emails, files, calendar events, and collaborative spaces like SharePoint sites and Microsoft Teams to ensure appropriate protection and compliance.
Key Capabilities of Sensitivity Labels:
- Encryption: Ensures that only authorized individuals can access the content by verifying their identity.
- Content Marking: Inserts visual indicators such as headers, footers, or watermarks into emails and documents to highlight their classification.
- Access Restrictions: Controls actions like sharing, printing, or copying to prevent unauthorized use of protected content.
- Label Application: Labels can be assigned manually by users or automatically through predefined policies and conditions.
How to Create Sensitivity Labels:
- Access Microsoft Purview. Go to Microsoft Purview portal → Solutions → Information Protection → Labels.
2. Create a New Label. Click + Create a label → Add name, description, label priority (By default, this label will be assigned the highest priority, but you can change this after it's created), Description for users, Description for admins, label colour.
3. Choose scope (files/emails or groups/sites/meetings) as required.
4. Configure Protection Settings choose (control access, apply content marking, protect teams meetings and chats), Add content markings, Define auto-labeling conditions (optional).
5. Review and Create. Finalize settings and click Create.
What Are Label Publishing Policies?
Label Publishing Policies control which sensitivity labels are available to particular users or groups. If a label isn’t included in a publishing policy, it won’t be visible or accessible in the user interface—even if it has already been created.
Why Are Publishing Policies Important?
- Targeted Deployment: Make labels available only to specific teams or job functions that need them.
- User Experience: Reduce confusion by displaying only the labels that are relevant to each user.
- Governance: Maintain control over label usage to support regulatory and organizational requirements.
How to Create Label Publishing Policies:
- Go to Label Policies. In Purview portal → Information Protection → Label policies.
2. Create a New Policy. Click + Publish labels. Select sensitivity labels to include → select and add.
3. Assign admin unit (M365 E5 license is required) → next.
4. Assign Users or Groups. Choose who can use the labels. You can choose all the users and groups or specific users or groups → done → next.
5. Configure Policy Settings. Set default label (optional), require justification for changes, enable mandatory labeling (optional).
6. Give a name to the policy, review and submit.
7. Once the policy is created, select and click on publish to publish the label.
