When preparing for the SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator exam, one important aspect to focus on is planning for information retention and disposition using retention labels. This critical function allows organisations to manage their data throughout its life cycle, including deletion or archival when necessary. Understanding how to correctly apply and utilise retention labels is essential for any Information Protection Administrator.
I. Introduction to Retention Labels
Retention labels in the Microsoft 365 compliance center enable an organization to classify data across the organization for governance, and enforce rules for retention, deletion, and archival. This classification with labels helps to effectively manage and govern a massive amount of data, especially in large scale environments.
In Microsoft 365, these labels can be auto-applied using criteria such as keyword queries, sensitive information types, or trainable classifiers. Alternatively, they could be manually applied by users or default labels could be set on folders or document libraries.
II. Creating and Managing Retention Labels
To create a retention label, one would go to the Microsoft 365 compliance center, then to Information governance > Label management > Retention labels.
Here you can create a new label, configure settings such as retention period, actions after retention period, etc., and then publish this label to the desired location (user mailboxes, sites, etc.)
III. Applying Retention Labels
Users can manually apply retention labels to emails and documents in Outlook and SharePoint. They can be applied at the item level (email/document) or the container level (mailbox/folder/library).
For automatic application of labels, administrators can create retention label policies. These policies can be based on conditions such as:
- sensitive information types (e.g., Social Security Numbers)
- trainable classifiers (e.g., resumes or invoices)
- keyword queries
IV. Retention based on Label
Once retention labels are applied, they guide how long the content is retained. For instance, if a label with a retention period of 3 years is applied to an email, it will be preserved for 3 years from the date it was received or created.
Content can be set to either:
- Delete automatically at the end of the retention period
- Review by a person before deciding to delete or not (using the disposition review feature)
V. Key Points in Retention and Disposition with Labels
Here are some key insights to remember while using retention labels:
- Data can be retained for a specific period or indefinitely
- Data can be deleted automatically or sent to disposition review as per configured action
- Retention rules take precedence over deletion in the event of both rules applying to the data
- Labels can be published to various sources including Exchange email, SharePoint sites, OneDrive accounts, and Office 365 groups
- Labels can be applied automatically based on keyword queries, sensitive information types, or trainable classifiers
Planning for information retention is necessary for organizations to comply with industry regulations and internal data governance requirements. With effective utilization of retention labels, an organization can automate this important process and ensure data is effectively managed throughout its lifecycle.
Keep in mind, this topic is just one part of SC-400 Microsoft Information Protection Administrator exam, make sure to cover all other areas too for successfully clear the exam. Practice and understanding of each topic and features, especially retention labels, will be key to your success.
Practice Test
True or False: Retention labels in Microsoft 365 enable organizations to classify data for governance, enforce retention periods, and apply deletion policies.
Answer: True
Explanation: Retention labels are used in Microsoft 365 for data classification and governance, ensuring data is kept for specific periods and deleted correctly to meet compliance needs.
When a retention label is applied to a document in SharePoint, does it automatically apply to all versions of the document?
Answer: Yes
Explanation: Once a retention label is applied to a document, it applies to all versions of the document, ensuring that all data is governed according to the defined policy.
Which of the following options of retention label actions is NOT available in Microsoft 365?
- a. Start a retention period when a document is modified
- b. Delete data after a specified amount of time
- c. Transfer data to another server
- d. Trigger a disposition review
Answer: c. Transfer data to another server
Explanation: Microsoft 365 doesn’t support the automatic transfer of data to another server using retention labels. The other options are supported as part of retention plans.
Can you use retention labels to mark items as records in Microsoft 365?
Answer: Yes
Explanation: In Microsoft 365, you can use retention labels to mark items as records. Once marked as a record, it can’t be edited or deleted until the retention period has ended.
Which of the following is not a factor that influences retention and disposition planning in Microsoft 365?
- a. Compliance requirements
- b. Data value
- c. User preferences
- d. Legal obligations
Answer: c. User preference
Explanation: User preferences do not influence retention and disposition plans. These plans are primarily influenced by legal obligations, compliance requirements, and the value of the data.
True or False: You cannot have more than one retention label in a retention policy.
Answer: False
Explanation: You can have multiple retention labels within a single retention policy in Microsoft
Can retention labels in Microsoft 365 be automatically applied using conditions such as keywords or sensitive info types?
Answer: Yes
Explanation: Microsoft 365 allows you to automatically apply retention labels based on conditions such as keywords or sensitive information types.
Which Security and Compliance center allows us to manage the Retention label policy?
- a. Microsoft Office 365
- b. Microsoft 365 compliance center
- c. Microsoft Cloud App Security
- d. Microsoft Azure
Answer: b. Microsoft 365 compliance center
Explanation: Microsoft 365 compliance center is the security and compliance center where you can manage and create retention label policies.
True or False: Retention labels cannot be manually applied by users.
Answer: False
Explanation: Retention labels can either be applied automatically based on defined conditions or they can be manually applied by users.
True or False: Applying a retention label to content does not prevent users from deleting that content.
Answer: False
Explanation: When a retention label is applied, content cannot be permanently deleted by users until the end of the retention period. Even when users delete their copies, the content will be retained in a hidden location accessible to admins.
Interview Questions
What is the purpose of using retention labels in Microsoft 365?
Retention labels in Microsoft 365 allow organizations to retain and classify content across their organization for governance, and enforce retention rules based on that classification.
How do retention labels work in Microsoft 365?
Once created, an administrator can apply retention labels automatically based on conditions such as keywords or sensitive information types, or they can be applied manually by users.
How can retention labels be manually applied by users?
Users can manually apply retention labels to content they’re working on in Outlook, SharePoint, or Teams by selecting the label in the Apply a label section in the item’s settings.
Can retention labels be used to delete content automatically after a certain period of time?
Yes, you can set retention labels to automatically delete content after a certain period of time.
How can an information protection administrator ensure that content is deleted automatically after a certain period of time using retention labels?
The administrator can specify the retention settings in the label to automatically delete the item when it reaches a certain age.
What are event-based retention labels?
Event-based retention labels allow the organization to trigger a retention period based on a specific event, such as an employee’s departure.
Can retention labels be applied to content residing outside of Microsoft 365?
No. As of current capabilities, retention labels can only be applied to content within Microsoft 365 services.
What happens when there’s a conflict between retention and deletion policies in retention labels?
When there’s a conflict, retention always takes precedence over deletion. The content won’t be deleted until the shortest retention period ends.
Can an administrator hide a retention label from users?
Administrators can control whether or not a label is visible to users in the label settings.
What is the purpose of the disposition review process in Microsoft 365 retention labels?
The disposition review process allows designated reviewers to manually review content before it is disposed of, ensuring that no valuable or relevant content is accidentally deleted.
How does a retention label help with regulatory compliance?
By using retention labels, an organization can effectively manage and control their data lifecycle, which can in turn help demonstrate compliance with various data protection regulations.
Can you apply multiple retention labels to the same content?
No, only one retention label can be applied to an item at any time. Applying a different retention label to an item will replace the existing label.
What happens to labeled content once the retention period expires?
Once the retention period expires, disposition actions such as deletion or review for deletion come into effect, depending on the label’s settings.
Can retention labels be used with Microsoft Teams?
Yes, retention labels can be applied to Teams chat and channel messages.
What happens when a retention label is removed from a content?
Once removed, the content no longer retains the retention or disposition settings of that label and is now subject to any default policies or new labels subsequently applied.
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