What are information protection labels?
Information protection labels are used to classify email and documents according to our Data Classification Policy. These labels help our community or those outside our community understand the importance or sensitivity of the information in those emails or documents.
How do I use information protection labels?
Information protection labels show up in all the Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Teams etc. You just select the sensitivity icon in the ribbon and choose what labels to apply.
What happens when I apply a label?
Depending on the label applied, there will be different behavior. Using the Public label will apply a header to your email or document to make it clear to anyone reading it what the nature of the information is. Using the Sensitive label will apply a header and watermark to a document to help indicate that the information should not be over shared. Using the Restricted label will apply a header, a watermark and will also force encryption. Encryption helps protect the document or email with an additional layer of security.
What happens when a Restricted label encrypts my document or email?
That document or email becomes better protected when encrypted. Anyone you share the content with will need to be logged in to Microsoft 365 to access the content. This means they either need to being using Outlook, or they will receive a link to log in to Microsoft 365 to access the content. This also gives you the ability to more easily revoke access if accidentally shared with the wrong parties.
Why is my email or document recommending a label?
Microsoft 365 detects what it believes is likely information that is legally protected, and in those cases we've configured it to notify you that applying a Restricted label is a good idea to help insure that information stays protected.
Can I remove a label?
Public and Sensitive labels can be removed or down-graded if you provide a reason for doing so. Restricted labels cannot be removed once applied, and if you need the information without the label, you must notify the data source.