Best Practice for using Sensitivity labels to secure your sensitive data

In today’s digital age, data is one of the most valuable assets for businesses and with the increase in cyber threats and regulatory requirements, it has become important to protect sensitive data from exfiltration or authorized access. One of the best ways to do this is by using sensitivity labels. Microsoft Purview Inofrmation Protection includes the capabilities to create sensitivity labels to secure and protect the sensitive data in your organization. Below are the best practices to consider when creating sensitivity labels

1. Identify sensitive data: The first step in using sensitivity labels in your organization is to identify your sensitive data and where it is located. Microsoft has native tools such as Content explorer that can identify sensitive data in your Microsoft 365 Environment and Information Protection Scanner that can be used to identify onpremise data. Once you have identified and classified the data, you can then assign a sensitivity label to it.
2. Define sensitivity labels: It is important to define sensitivity labels based on the level of sensitivity of the data. For instance, you could have labels and sub labels  like “Public,” “Internal(Internal-All employees,Internal-Specified People),” “Confidential,” and “Highly Confidential.” By defining labels, you can ensure that the weird variety of sensitive data is classified properly
3. Apply sensitivity labels: Once you have defined sensitivity labels, you can apply them to your sensitive data. You can do this manually by deploying the labels to all users so that it can be available for use or you can use auto labelling simulation in purview where you can run a simulation for the label you want to apply and automatically apply the labels once you are sure about it. Another auto labelling capability provided by Microsoft ourview is the auto labelling based on sensitive information type, you can configure a label to automatically apply specific sensitive information is discovered in a file or email. Applying sensitivity labels ensures that the data is protected and that the right security measures are applied.
4. Monitor sensitivity labels: It is important to monitor sensitivity labels regularly to ensure that they are applied correctly. You can do this by using the activity explorer under data classification in Microsoft Purview or the overview paga in data classification to understand how your users are using sensitivity labels
5. Train employees: It is essential to train employees on the proper use of sensitivity labels. This includes educating them on what data needs to be protected and how to apply sensitivity labels to sensitive data. By training employees, you can ensure that they are aware of the importance of protecting sensitive data and how to use sensitivity labels effectively.
6. Implement security controls: In addition to applying sensitivity labels, it is important to implement other security controls to protect sensitive data. This could include using encryptionprevent unauthorized access. When configuring the sensitivity labels in Microsoft Purview, you can turn on encryption to restrict who can access the cntent that has the label applied

In conclusion, sensitivity labels are an effective way to secure sensitive data. By following the best practices outlined in this blog using Microsoft Purview Information Protection sensitivity labels, you can ensure that your sensitive data is protected and that the right security measures are applied to each level of sensitivity.