In today’s digital workplace, the security of documents and sensitive information is paramount. SharePoint, a widely used platform for document management and collaboration, offers various features to help organizations keep their data secure. One such feature is the implementation of sensitivity labels for document libraries.
What are Sensitivity Labels?
Sensitivity labels in SharePoint provide a way to classify and protect your organization’s documents based on their level of sensitivity. When SharePoint is enabled for sensitivity labels, administrators can configure default labels for document libraries, ensuring a baseline level of protection is applied automatically.
How They Work
Any new files uploaded to a library with a default sensitivity label, or any existing files that are edited within that library, will have the label applied. This occurs unless the documents already have a different sensitivity label or one with a lower priority.
Automatic Labeling Without Content Inspection
This feature provides automatic labeling without content inspection, which can vary from library to library. For instance, a Contracts library might be set to label documents as Confidential, while a Marketing library could label its documents as Public.
Configuring Sensitivity Labels
To configure sensitivity labels for a SharePoint document library, navigate to the library settings by clicking on the gear icon and selecting ‘Library Settings’. There, you will find the option to set a default sensitivity label for all Office or PDF files within your library. This label will only be applied to newly created or edited files.
License Requirements
To utilize sensitivity labels, your organization must have one of the following licenses:
- SharePoint Premium – SharePoint Advanced Management
- Microsoft 365 E5/A5/G5
- Microsoft 365 E5/A5/G5 Compliance
- Microsoft 365 E5/F5 Information Protection & Governance
- Office 365 E5/A5/G5
These licenses ensure that your organization has the necessary tools to comply with various regulations and internal policies regarding information protection and governance.
