ICT, Security
Sensitivity labels now automatically applied in Microsoft 365
From 12 June onwards, the sensitivity label 'Confidential' will be automatically applied to documents in the online Office 365 environment (SharePoint/Teams/OneDrive and the online version of Outlook) that possibly contain sensitive content. This measure is the next step in the use of sensitivity labels, contributing to the observance of privacy rules and regulations and to compliance with our own security standards for information protection standards.
What does this measure do?
If our security system finds sensitive content in a Microsoft 365 document, the label 'Confidential' is automatically applied to it. The label is informative, intended to notify you to the fact that there is probably sensitive data in your document.
Why do we have sensitivity labels?
Sensitivity labels can help to protect sensitive information such as address details, banking information, passwords and IP addresses. A sensitivity label informs you how the data should minimally be protected and how to deal with the data.
When is labelling applied?
As soon as you save or share a document in OneDrive or Teams/SharePoint (or when it is saved automatically) and it contains data that fits the sensitivity types, the label is applied. This occurs automatically and on the basis of the recognition of number patterns or letter patterns. It is similar to how autocorrection takes place in a text. You will see the following text on the label: our security system has detected sensitive information, please handle it with care.
What types of sensitive information does it apply to?
The security system detects the following types of sensitive information:
- Netherlands Citizen's Service Number (BSN)
- Netherlands Driver's License Number
- Netherlands Passport Number
- Home Address (in The Netherlands)
- Netherlands VAT (Value Added Tax) Number (BTW)
- General Password
- IP address
- Credit Card Number
- International Banking Account Number (IBAN)
- Swift Code
- Certificate CSR
- Employee Number (Leiden University)
- Student Number (Leiden University)
If a label is automatically applied, what should you do?
If a label is assigned to a file, then it is important to handle the document with care and, where necessary, to limit the ability to share or print it. For now, no restrictions apply to the document.
For more (background) information, consult the announcement New: sensitivity labels in Office files - Leiden University and the knowledge item Microsoft (automatic) confidentiality label (KI 4494) in the helpdesk portal.