Enhancing Security and Privacy: Applying Message Sensitivity Labels within Outlook
In today’s digital age, ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive information shared via email is paramount. Microsoft Outlook offers a powerful feature known as message sensitivity labels, which enable users to classify and protect emails based on their sensitivity level. In this guide, we will delve into the importance of message sensitivity labels and provide step-by-step instructions on how to effectively apply them within Outlook to safeguard sensitive data.
The Benefits of Using Message Sensitivity Labels
Message sensitivity labels serve as a crucial tool for organisations and individuals looking to maintain data confidentiality and compliance. Some key benefits of using sensitivity labels within Outlook include:
- Enhanced security: By applying sensitivity labels, users can prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
- Compliance adherence: Sensitivity labels help organisations comply with data protection regulations by ensuring proper handling of sensitive data.
- Improved data governance: Labeling emails with sensitivity levels facilitates better data management and control.
How to Create and Apply Sensitivity Labels in Outlook
Creating and applying sensitivity labels within Outlook is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to get started:
- Open Outlook and navigate to the email message you want to label.
- Click on the ‘Options’ tab in the message window.
- Choose ‘Sensitivity’ and select the appropriate label from the dropdown menu (e.g., ‘Personal’, ‘Confidential’, ‘Top Secret’).
- Save the changes to apply the sensitivity label to the email.
Customizing Sensitivity Labels to Meet Security Requirements
Organisations may have specific security requirements that necessitate custom sensitivity labels. To customize sensitivity labels in Outlook:
- Access the ‘Security & Compliance Center’ in Microsoft 365.
- Go to ‘Classifications’ and select ‘Sensitivity labels’.
- Create a new sensitivity label and configure the settings based on your security policies.
- Apply the custom sensitivity label to emails as needed.
Tips for Managing Sensitivity Labels Across an Organization
Effectively managing sensitivity labels across an organisation is vital for consistent data protection. Consider the following tips:
- Provide training to employees on the proper use of sensitivity labels.
- Regularly review and update sensitivity label policies to align with changing security requirements.
- Monitor label usage and compliance to ensure adherence to data protection guidelines.
By leveraging message sensitivity labels within Outlook, users can bolster the security and privacy of their email communications. Implementing best practices and customizing sensitivity labels according to specific security needs can significantly enhance data protection efforts. Take the time to familiarize yourself with sensitivity labels and make them a cornerstone of your email security strategy within Microsoft Outlook.

DrayTek Vigor 2962 2.5Gb Ethernet Dual-WAN Broadband Firewall Router, 200 VPN Tunnels, 20 VLANS, QOS, Remote Management, Load Balancing
High Performance Multi-WAN Router - The Vigor 2962 makes full use of FTTP Fibre Broadband at up to 2.2Gbps throughput for single or multi-WAN configurations. With Quality of Service, Firewall and Content Filtering.
Buy Now on Amazon
NETGEAR Orbi Mesh WiFi 6 System (RBK763S) , Mesh Router & 2 Extenders , Cover Every Room, Up To 6,000 Sq Ft , Improve WiFi Speeds up to 5.4 Gbps & 75 devices , Simple App Set Up
WiFI mesh coverage of up to 6,000 sq ft and up to 75 devices, With each satellite (sold separately) you can extend the range by up to 2,000 sq ft
Buy Now on Amazon
DrayTek Vigor 2865Lax-5G Ethernet Router, WiFi 6 AX3000 Wireless and 5G Failover, Integrated 5G Modem, 5+1 GbE LAN Ports with VLANs, VDSL
VDSL and Ethernet Load Balancer - Connect the Vigor 2865 to Superfast Fibre with the integrated VDSL modem. Use the Ethernet WAN with Cable and Ultrafast FTTP. Load Balance multiple connections to boost performance.
Buy Now on Amazon
TP-Link Archer BE550 Router WiFi 7 BE9300Mbps, Tri-Band WiFi Router, 2.5G Ports,USB Port,Maximized Coverage,VPN Router, Parental Control, HomeShield Security, Private IoT Network,Easy Setup,EasyMesh
Wi-Fi 7 Routers: With powerful Wi-Fi 7 performance, lightning-fast wired connections, and brand-new design
Buy Now on Amazon
QNAP TS-253A-4G 2 Bay NAS Enclosure with 4GB RAM - Black (GDPR Compliant)
NAS and iSCSI-SAN unified storage solution for server virtualization
Buy Now on Amazon
WD 16TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra 2-bay NAS - Network Attached Storage RAID, file sync, streaming, media server, with WD Red drives
Centralised network storage: Organise your entire media collection, photos and files in one central, network location
Buy Now on Amazon
Synology DX517 5 Bay Desktop Network Attached Storage Expansion Enclosure, Black
Online volume expansion
Buy Now on Amazon
QNAP TS-431XeU-8G 4 Bay Short-depth Rackmount NAS Enclosure with 10GbE SFP+ & 8GB RAM
The short depth design is suitable for installing in smaller racks or space-constrained locations
Buy Now on Amazon
Seagate 10 TB IronWolf NAS 3.5 Inch Hard Drive ST10000VN0008 (SATA 6 Gb/s/256 MB/7200 RPM)
Model Number: ST10000VN0008
Buy Now on Amazon
QNAP TS-673A-8G 6 Bay Desktop NAS Enclosure - 8GB RAM, AMD Ryzen Quad-core 2.2 GHz Processor - with 2.5GbE connectivity & supporting PCIe expansion
8GB DDR4 RAM (2 x SODIMM slots, max. 64GB, optional ECC RAM support)
Buy Now on Amazon
Synology DS1621+ 48TB 6 Bay Desktop NAS Solution, installed with 6 x 8TB Western Digital Red Plus Drives
Accelerated Performance: 174% higher 4K random read IOPS and 76% faster sequential write speeds compared to its predecessor
Buy Now on Amazon
Synology DS1823xs+ 8 Bay NAS Desktop: High-Performance Storage Solution
Powerful Performance - Over 3,100/2,600 MB/s sequential read/write throughput and over 173,100/80,800 random read/write IOPS2 support heavier applications
Buy Now on Amazon