One of the crucial components of effective data management in Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security is optimizing label usage. This can help to secure sensitive data, comply with industry regulations, and facilitate efficient data usage and sharing. Microsoft offers tools like Activity Explorer, Content Explorer, and label reports, which make managing and analyzing label usage quite seamless.
Using Content Explorer in Microsoft 365 Compliance Center
Content Explorer allows administrators to investigate and take actions on specific items which have been labelled. Striving for effective label usage can yield a more results-focused query. The Content Explorer displays detailed metadata, content data, labelling, and activity data, enabling admins to detect compliance risks.
Let’s take an example: A sensitive document labelled as ‘Confidential’ is shared externally. As an admin, you can use Content Explorer to view which items have the ‘Confidential’ label. Upon detecting that a particular document has been shared externally, you can then take appropriate action.
Steps:
- Open the Microsoft 365 compliance center and navigate to Content Explorer.
- Select ‘Explore content’ and enter ‘Confidential’ as the label to search.
- Click on the filter icon to filter results based on item properties, such as access level.
- Once you identify the document that has been shared externally, you can immediately take action as appropriate.
Using Activity Explorer in Microsoft 365 Compliance Center
The Activity Explorer provides insight into label activities over a specific period. It can be used to analyze how and when labelled data is being accessed, modified, or shared. This can help you optimize label usage by identifying trends and potential issues over time.
Continuing with the previous example, suppose you noticed that ‘Confidential’ labelled items are being accessed frequently outside of working hours. Using Activity Explorer, you could investigate this anomaly and address it accordingly.
Steps:
- Open the Microsoft 365 compliance center and navigate to Activity Explorer.
- Enter ‘Confidential’ as the label to search and select the desired time period.
- View the activity graph which uncovers the pattern of access and modifications made to the labelled items.
Using Label Reports
Label reports in the Microsoft 365 compliance center provide useful statistics regarding label usage across the organization. These reports can be used to monitor the application of labels and their effectiveness in safeguarding sensitive data.
For instance, you might observe from the label reports that the usage of the ‘Confidential’ label is decreasing, suggesting perhaps that users are not applying it consistently to classified documents. This insight can prompt you to encourage more frequent and uniform application of the label.
Steps:
- Go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, select Reports, then choose ‘Content explorer’.
- Navigate to the ‘Label usage’ tab for an overview of how labels are being used across the organization.
- Monitor trends in label usage over time to identify potential training needs or improvements in the labelling policy.
In conclusion, using the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center’s Content Explorer, Activity Explorer, and label reporting can significantly improve your organization’s label usage. By leveraging these tools, you can enhance data security, compliance, and productivity. Remember, the key to optimizing label usage lies in a thorough understanding of these tools and continuous monitoring of label application and activity.
Practice Test
True or False: Content Explorer in Microsoft 365 compliance center helps you to view and manage sensitive information by using labels.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: This is accurate. The Content Explorer tool helps identify, manage, and protect sensitive information across Microsoft 365 by utilising labels.
In Microsoft 365, Activity Explorer provides insights into the content that’s labeled and protected. True/False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Activity Explorer provides visibility into how labelled and protected content is being accessed and utilized. It provides insights so that you can monitor and analyze.
What does the labelling report provide you with?
- A. Insight into how Teams is being used
- B. Visibility into how labels are being applied
- C. Overview of SharePoint usage
Answer: B. Visibility into how labels are being applied
Explanation: A labeling report specifically provides visibility into how labels are being created and applied within your organization.
You can create custom reports based on labels in Content Explorer. True/False?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Content Explorer allows the creation of custom label-based reports to monitor and analyse sensitive data usage.
Select all that apply: Content Explorer allows you to…
- A. Monitor sensitive data
- B. Audit user activity
- C. Manage data compliance
Answer: A. Monitor sensitive data, C. Manage data compliance
Through labels, Content Explorer helps monitor sensitive data and manage data compliance but does not directly audit user activity.
In MS-101 exam, label reports only refer to Azure Active Directory labels. True/False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The MS-101 exam considers label reports from the broader Microsoft 365 suite, including Azure, but not limited to it.
True or False: Label reports are used to implement security configurations.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Label reports are not used to implement security configurations. However, they are used to gain visibility into how labels are applied across
documents and emails.
Can Activity Explorer provide you with information on document access within your organization?
- A. Yes
- B. No
Answer: A. Yes
Explanation: Yes, Activity Explorer can provide insights into how labeled and protected content, such as documents, is being accessed within the organization.
Label reports are automatically integrated with all 3rd party services. True/False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Label reports are not automatically integrated with all 3rd party services. Certain integrations may be possible, but it depends on the service.
Content Explorer can provide insights into…
- A. Which labels are most commonly used
- B. Which time is most productive for employees
- C. Which time has maximum logins
Answer: A. Which labels are most commonly used
Explanation: Content Explorer helps in monitoring and providing insights on how labels are being used within the organization, not on productivity or login statistics.
Interview Questions
What does the Content Explorer in MS 365 Compliance Center allow you to do?
The Content Explorer allows application administrators to view and take action on items that have been labeled, allowing them to efficiently manage and monitor labeled content.
What does the Activity Explorer in MS 365 Compliance Center enable?
Activity Explorer provides insights about activities related to sensitivity labels in your organization, offering visibility on user interactions with labeled content.
How can label reports be optimized?
Label reports can be optimized by setting up regular report generation, carefully selecting and focusing on key metrics, and enabling all relevant logging and auditing services in MS 365’s Compliance Center.
How can the Content Explorer be used to optimize label usage?
The Content Explorer can be used to identify mislabeled items, which can then be corrected. This helps in optimizing label usage as mislabeled items can lead to misleading data resulting in incorrect decision-making.
What is the purpose of label reports in Microsoft 365?
Label reports provide details on how labels are being used across an organization. They can give insights into label usage patterns and help identify potential issues or areas for improvement in data protection strategies.
Can you analyze label usage over a specific timeframe using label reports in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center?
Yes, you can select a specific date range while generating label reports in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center to analyze label usage over a specific timeframe.
Can the Activity Explorer display both document and email activities?
Yes, the Activity Explorer can display different types of activities, including activities related to both documents and emails.
How would you access the Content Explorer in Microsoft 365 Compliance Center?
To access the Content Explorer in Microsoft 365 Compliance Center, you need to navigate to the Compliance Center, then to Data classification, and finally select the Content Explorer.
How can the Content Explorer and Activity Explorer be utilized together for optimal label usage?
Using the Content Explorer, you can view the items that have been labeled and their related information, while the Activity Explorer provides detailed insights about the activities related to these items. Together, they provide a robust environment to visualize, monitor, manage, and optimize label usage effectively.
Can you use Content Explorer for remediation if a document is wrongly classified?
Yes, Content Explorer allows application administrators to reclassify documents, either individually or in bulk, if they’re incorrectly classified.
What kind of insights can Activity Explorer provide for label analysis?
Activity Explorer can provide insights such as document access and modification details, label changes, document sharing details, and user actions on labeled documents for a comprehensive label analysis.
How can label reports be customized in the Microsoft 365 Compliance Center?
Label reports can be customized by selecting the specific labels to report on, and by defining the scope and the time period you want the report to cover.