Before going deep into the topic, let’s clarify a few key aspects. Sensitivity labels are attributes that you can associate with your data to identify and classify them based on its sensitivity level. These labels determine the privacy and security settings for the concerned data.
Protected content, on the other hand, refers to data items (documents, emails, etc.) that are guarded by specific security controls to prevent unauthorized access or manipulation.
Administering Reporting, Tracking, and Access
As an Information Protection Administrator, you are required to oversee the effectiveness of sensitivity labels in protecting sensitive content. In this aspect, there are three integral tasks that you have to handle – reporting, tracking, and administering access to the labels and the protected content.
Administering Reporting
There are numerous ways to create reports that help monitor the usage of sensitivity labels and protected content. Microsoft 365 compliance center provides various dashboards and reporting options to monitor the use of sensitivity labels in SharePoint, Exchange, and OneDrive. For example, you can use the sensitivity label usage report to view the number of items like emails or documents that have a specific sensitivity label. This can help you understand if your users understand and are adhering to your company’s labeling policies.
Administering Tracking
Keeping a track of sensitivity labels and protected content is crucial for maintaining the integrity of your data. One can make use of the Activity explorer in Microsoft 365 compliance center to view activities related to sensitive information like changes in sensitivity labels or access requests to protected content.
Monitoring Access
You can manage who has access to specified sensitive content by constricting and regulating access permissions. Policies can be set to allow or restrict access from specific user groups to certain labeled contents. A common practice might be allowing only C-level executives access to ‘Highly Confidential’ labeled documents.
For example:
- In the Microsoft 365 compliance center, go to the Policies & rules > Information protection page.
- Select the ‘Highly Confidential’ label from the list.
- In the Protection settings, under the Define permissions section, select ‘Custom permissions’.
- Add the C-Level executives group in the permissions list and set the permissions to ‘Co-owner’.
- Click Save.
This will ensure only C-level executives have co-owner access to ‘Highly Confidential’ labeled content.
Microsoft provides a multitude of tools and techniques for you as an Information Protection Administrator to efficiently manage, monitor, and protect your organizational data. It is imperative to apprise yourself with these functionalities to maintain the integrity of your organization’s data and pass the Microsoft SC-400 exam.
The role of an Information Protection Administrator is critical in today’s data-driven business environment. By utilizing sensitivity labels and managing protected content, you can foster a secured and productive work atmosphere. You can also gain greater visibility over your organization’s sensitive data, ensure regulations and policies are adhered to, and minimize potential risks.
Practice Test
True or False: Sensitivity labels can be used to classify, protect, and track sensitive content across various applications.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365 help in classifying and protecting sensitive content across different applications, including SharePoint, Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and more.
True or False: Every user in an organization has access to all sensitivity labels and protected content.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Administrators can manage access to sensitivity labels and protected content. Not all users have access to all labels and content.
Sensitivity labels can control which of the following?
- A. Encryption
- B. Access to labelled content
- C. The ability to copy and paste sensitive information
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Sensitivity labels can control encryption of content, access to labeled content, and even restrict copy-pasting of sensitive information.
In Microsoft 365, which tool is used for administering the reporting, tracking, and access of sensitivity labels and protected content?
- A. Microsoft Teams
- B. Microsoft Power BI
- C. Microsoft Compliance center
- D. Microsoft Project
Answer: C. Microsoft Compliance center
Explanation: Microsoft Compliance center is a tool that assists in managing and enforcing data governance across the organization, which involves sensitivity labels and content protection.
Multi-Factor Authentication is not required for managing sensitivity labels and protected content. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Multi-Factor Authentication enhances security by requiring more than one form of verification and should be used for managing sensitive data.
Which feature allows users to manually classify content for sensitivity labels and protection?
- A. Automatic Classification
- B. Default Classification
- C. User-Defined Classification
- D. None of The Above
Answer: C. User-Defined Classification
Explanation: User-Defined Classification allows users to manually classify content with sensitivity labels.
True or False? You can use PowerShell to manage sensitivity labels.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: PowerShell cmdlets can be used for scripting and automating tasks related to sensitivity labels and content protection.
Once sensitivity labels are deleted, they can be reused without any issue. True or False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Once a sensitivity label is deleted, the label ID is retained and cannot be reused, to ensure history tracking is maintained.
Sensitivity labels can be applied to which of the following in Microsoft 365?
- A. Emails
- B. Documents
- C. Teams conversations
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Sensitivity labels can be applied across Microsoft 365 to emails, documents and Teams conversations, providing data protection at all levels.
Sensitivity labels associated with protected content can be tracked through which of the following?
- A. Audit logs
- B. Activity alerts
- C. Both A and B
- D. None of the above
Answer: C. Both A and B
Explanation: Both audit logs and activity alerts can be used to track the application and access of sensitivity labels and protected content.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of sensitivity labels in Microsoft 365?
Sensitivity labels are used in Microsoft 365 to classify and protect sensitive content. They contain protection settings and encryption that get applied to content like emails and documents.
Can sensitivity labels be applied automatically or does it have to be a manual process?
Sensitivity labels can be applied both manually by users and automatically by Microsoft 365 based on content characteristics defined by administrators.
What is a sub-label in Microsoft Information Protection?
A sub-label is a type of sensitivity label that falls under a higher-level label. It helps in creating a hierarchical structure for labels important for more granular control over the classification and protection of sensitive data.
How is a label policy created and configured?
A label policy is created and configured through the Microsoft 365 compliance center. The policy determines which labels are available to users, conditions for their usage, and automated actions related to them.
What is the function of Endpoint data loss prevention (DLP)?
Endpoint DLP extends the activity monitoring and protection capabilities of DLP to devices. It enables the detection, monitoring, and prevention of sensitive information across devices.
Where can you view the activity of sensitivity labels?
The activity of sensitivity labels can be viewed in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. It allows you to examine label usage, changes in label settings, and other related activities.
Can sensitivity labels be applied to containers such as Teams, Groups, and Sites?
Yes, sensitivity labels can be applied to containers including Teams, Groups, and Sites.
What is the benefit of applying sensitivity labels to containers?
Applying sensitivity labels to containers helps to protect and manage access to sensitive data in those containers. For example, it can make it so only certain users can access a particular Team or SharePoint site.
How does Microsoft 365 enforce retention of content that’s been labeled?
Microsoft 365 enforces retention by automatically deleting labeled content after a certain period of time, or by moving content to a different location for an administrator to review and potentially delete.
Can users change or remove sensitivity labels that have been automatically applied by Microsoft 365?
Yes, users can change or remove sensitivity labels that have been automatically applied, but only if the administrator has given them permission to do so.
What happens to a document when it has a conflicting sensitivity label?
When a sensitivity label conflict occurs, the most restrictive label is applied to resolve the conflict.
How can you track the access to protected content in Microsoft 365?
The access to protected content can be tracked using the audit logging feature in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
How can you use sensitivity labels with Microsoft Cloud App Security?
Sensitivity labels can be used with Microsoft Cloud App Security to enforce DLP policies based on content classification, such as blocking specific actions for sensitive documents.
What is the purpose of sensitivity types in sensitivity labels?
Sensitivity types help the system identify different ways the content can be sensitive. It can identify credit card numbers, social security numbers, or other types of sensitive data.
What role do watermarks play in sensitivity labels?
Watermarks can be used in sensitivity labels to visually inform users about the classification of a document. This helps increase awareness and comply with regulations or policies.