As a Microsoft Information Protection Administrator, one crucial aspect of SC-400 exam is understanding how to configure and publish retention label policies. These policies enable organizations to control how information is managed over its lifespan, helping organizations to maintain compliance, and reduce the risk associated with excessive data retention. This article delves into the processes involved in configuring and publishing retention label policies in a Microsoft 365 compliance center.
Understanding Retention Label Policies
Retention labels make it possible for your organization to automate the process of managing content lifecycles. You can classify data across your organization and enforce retention rules based on that classification. Once you create a retention label, you can publish it with a retention label policy so that it can be used in apps.
Steps to Configure Retention Labels
To configure a retention label in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Microsoft 365 compliance center (https://compliance.microsoft.com).
- Select “Solutions” > “Information Governance” > “Labels”.
- Click on “Create a label”, then configure your retention label based on your business needs:
- Name and describe the label.
- Configure retention settings. Specify if data should be retained or deleted after a time period, or based on the age of the item.
- Determine the action to take when the retention period ends (either delete automatically or trigger a review).
- Specify whether to classify content as a record.
After creating your label, you can deploy it to various locations like Microsoft 365 Groups, SharePoint Online, and Exchange email.
Steps to Publish Retention Label Policies
Once your retention labels are configured, the next step is to publish them. Here’s how you can do so:
- In the Microsoft 365 compliance center, select “Solutions” > “Information Governance” > “Label policies”.
- Click “Publish labels”, then select the labels you want to publish. You can also create a new label in this step.
- Choose where the labels will be published. You can select specific locations or all locations based on your needs.
- Configure settings, such as who the labels apply to and how to enforce them.
- Review your settings, then publish the policy.
Remember, it could take up to seven days for the retention policy to be enforced across all locations.
Examples
Let’s consider an example where a company wants to configure a retention policy so that emails are automatically deleted after 3 years.
- You would first configure a retention label with the following settings:
- Name: “3 Year Email Retention”
- Retention: Retain items for 3 years based on when they were created.
- Action when retention period ends: Automatically delete items when they’re older than 3 years.
- Then you would publish this retention label with a retention label policy that targets all locations in the Exchange email.
In this example, the retention label policy facilitates automated data management, saving time and reducing the risk associated with manual data management.
Conclusion
Retaining and archiving necessary data and properly disposing of unnecessary data are crucial parts of data governance. As a Microsoft Information Protection Administrator, having a comprehensive understanding of how to configure and publish retention label policies can save your organization valuable resources while keeping it compliant with industry standards.
Practice Test
True/False: Retention labels can be used to classify content for retention across different locations in Microsoft
Answer: True
Explanation: Retention labels in Microsoft 365 allow you to classify content across different locations such as SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, and Exchange Online.
Which of the following is NOT a location where retention label policies in SharePoint could be applied?
- a) Libraries
- b) Folders
- c) Individual items
- d) Offline data
Answer: d) Offline data
Explanation: Retention label policies can only be applied to online content in SharePoint, i.e., libraries, folders, and individual items.
Multiple Select: Which of the following factors can trigger automatic application of a retention label?
- a) The sensitive information detected
- b) The content type
- c) The user who created or last modified the content
- d) The storage location of the data
Answer: a) The sensitive information detected, b) The content type, c) The user who created or last modified the content
Explanation: Automatic application of a retention label can be triggered based on conditions like sensitive information types or content types that exist in the content, the user who created or last modified the content, etc.
True/False: Retention labels are case-sensitive.
Answer: False
Explanation: Retention labels in Microsoft 365 are not case-sensitive.
Single Select: Which of the following needs to be enabled for auto-application of retention labels to work?
- a) Classification
- b) Advanced data governance
- c) Data tracking
- d) Smart search
Answer: b) Advanced data governance
Explanation: Advanced data governance needs to be enabled in Microsoft 365 for the auto-application of retention labels to work.
Multiple Select: Which of the following can be applied through retention labels?
- a) Deletion of content
- b) Preservation of content
- c) Grassing of content
- d) Movement of content
Answer: a) Deletion of content, b) Preservation of content
Explanation: Retention labels can be used to mark content for deletion after a certain period, or to preserve it indefinitely.
True/False: You can apply both a retention label and a record label to the same document.
Answer: False
Explanation: A document cannot have both a retention label and a record label applied to it at the same time.
Multiple Select: Which of the following are necessary for creating retention label policies?
- a) Setting up retention settings
- b) Assigning labels to content
- c) Publishing the policy
- d) Turning on advanced security
Answer: a) Setting up retention settings, b) Assigning labels to content, c) Publishing the policy
Explanation: To create a retention label policy, it’s necessary to set up retention settings, assign labels to the appropriate content, and then publish the policy.
True/False: Retention labels retain data indefinitely by default.
Answer: False
Explanation: You choose the retention period when setting up the retention label. Data is not held indefinitely by default.
Single Select: Can retention label policies be applied at a granular level, such as to a specific folder or document library?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a) Yes
Explanation: Retention label policies can be applied at a granular level, for instance to a specific folder, document library, or even to individual documents.
Interview Questions
What is a retention label in Microsoft 365?
A retention label in Microsoft 365 is a tool that helps organizations to manage and govern their information by applying retention and deletion policies to their content.
Where do you configure retention label policies in Microsoft 365?
Retention label policies in Microsoft 365 are configured in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
What does a retention label policy do?
A retention label policy allows an organization to classify content across their Microsoft 365 tenant for governance, and enforce rules for retention based on that classification.
How can you apply a retention label to content?
You can apply a retention label to content either manually by users, automatically by admin-defined rules, or through a default label for a document library.
Can a user change a retention label that has been automatically applied to content?
Yes, a user can change a retention label that has been automatically applied to the content, unless the administrator has blocked this ability.
What is the process to publish a retention label?
To publish a retention label, navigate to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, go to ‘Data classification,’ select ‘Sensitivity labels,’ create or choose a label, and then choose ‘Publish labels.’
Can you use a retention label to delete content automatically after it is no longer needed?
Yes, you can use a retention label to delete items automatically after their retention period has expired.
Which locations support retention labels?
Retention labels can be applied to content located in various places such as OneDrive, SharePoint, Exchange email, Teams, and Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
What happens when there are multiple retention labels that apply to the same content?
If multiple retention labels apply to the same content, the label with the longest retention period will supersede all others.
What can cause the automated application of a retention label to fail?
The automated application of a retention label can fail if there is a conflict with another label, if the label has been deleted, or if the content can’t be labeled due to its location or type.
Can you use retention labels for content in third-party apps and services?
No, retention labels can only be used for content in Microsoft 365.
Can you retract a published retention label?
Yes, you can retract a published retention label. However, the label will continue to apply to any content it was applied to prior to the retraction.
What does the ‘Investigation Hold’ policy do in retention labels?
The ‘Investigation Hold’ policy in retention labels preserves all existing content indefinitely due to an ongoing investigation.
What is an example of a retention policy that can be created with a retention label?
An example of a retention policy that can be created with a retention label is a policy to delete all emails older than seven years.
How can you track the publication of a retention label?
You can track the publication of a retention label through the label analytics in the Microsoft 365 compliance center.
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