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Information Protection (sensitivity) labels, where do I start?

Sensitivity labels are Microsofts way to tag files Public, Internal, Confidential, Strictly Confidential. Under 50 people this only works if you keep it simple.

Try this first

  1. 1Start with three labels, not five: Public, Internal, Confidential. More is unsustainable for SMB.
  2. 2Skip technical rules first. Educate: what belongs where? Write a half-page guide with four examples from your own work.
  3. 3Activate in Microsoft Purview, tie labels to auto-classification for IBAN, BSN, passport numbers if you process GDPR data. Test with a dummy file.
  4. 4After a few weeks: enable encryption on the Confidential label. Watch out, this blocks external sharing, roll it out gradually.

When to bring us in

Auto-classification on client files, legal or medical data is not for blind activation. We usually run a dry-run report first before we go live.

See also

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