Documents containing red (sensitive) data must be labeled with a sensitivity label if they are to be stored in MS365 (OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint). This ensures that the content receives the necessary protection. If you want to learn more about red data and what it is, see UiO's guide for information classification.
What is the difference between access control and using a label?
- The sensitivity label provides different protection than access control when sharing (the share function).
- Red (internal)
Cannot be sent to recipients outside UiO. Share via Teams (with the correct access control) or use the Share function in the application. - Red (external)
Same protection as Red (internal), but can be sent to recipients outside UiO. Set an expiration date in the Share function.
- Red (internal)
- Access control restricts which persons or groups can read or write to the documents.
Important to know
Supported file types
Sensitivity labels work on .docx, .pptx, and .xlsx files, as well as PDFs generated from Office. Other file types → see UiO's storage and sharing guide.
Access for employees
All employees have access to sensitivity labels. If you do not see the function, contact IT help.
Students
Do not have access to sensitivity labels. Use access control when sharing (the share function) instead.
Sharing documents with sensitivity labels
- When sharing documents with sensitivity labels, share the link to the document, not the document itself. That is; apply the sensitivity label, check that the right people have correct access, and send them the link to the document.
Applying a sensitivity label to an Office document on Windows
- Open the document to be labeled in the desktop app for the file type, for example Word. You cannot apply a sensitivity label in the online version of Office apps or from Teams.
- Click on Sensitivity in the taskbar.
Select Red (Internal)
Select Red (External) only if the document will be shared outside UiO. If you use this label, also indicate how long the external recipient can access the document.
The label you have selected is marked with a square as shown below.
- If the document is to be shared, do so by placing it in Teams (with the correct access control) or by using the Share function in the application. If you use the Red (external) label, you should specify how long the document will be accessible to the external parties. You do this in the Share function in the application.
Removing or changing a sensitivity label
Note: You should not remove the sensitivity label from a document in MS365 containing sensitive information. If you must remove the label from a document which contains sensitive information, it must be stored somewhere other than MS365, for example in a restricted access shared area.
If you need to remove or change the sensitivity label, do it as follows:
- Open the document with a sensitivity label in the desktop app for the file type, for example Word. You cannot remove sensitivity labels in the online version of Office apps or from Teams.
- Click the Sensitivity button.
Click on the label that is already selected. This removes the label. If you want to change the label, select the other one. In the image below, Red (internal) is selected. You can see this by the square highlight on the red symbol.
- Choose one of the options for why the label is removed or changed, and save the document.
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