What Is Azure Information Protection (and Other FAQs)?

One of the major benefits of the Azure ecosystem is Azure Information Protection, or AIP. AIP makes it possible for companies to flag sensitive information throughout their system, using a variety of flags that can be used to indicate different levels (or types) of security. From there, Azure will be able to identify whether secured data is being shared, whether individuals have the right to access this data and whether the data is being appropriately encrypted.

As an automated service, AIP can save an organization both time and money. But as a relatively new solution in the Azure ecosystem, it’s also not always implemented and not always completely understood. What even is Azure Information Protection, or AIP? What are the most suitable labels for MS Azure Information Protection? Here’s what you need to know about AIP and what it can do for you.

WHAT IS AZURE INFORMATION PROTECTION?

Azure Information Protection is a cloud-based solution that classifies information based on sensitivity, making it easier for organizations to protect and search through their confidential and classified information. Through AIP, organizations are able to better secure their intellectual property, personally identifiable information and other confidential information, while also reducing the amount of administrative time that data takes to secure. When programmed properly, AIP will be able to operate automatically.

Automated systems are always better when it comes to sensitive, secured information — because automated systems are less fallible than humans and because automated systems are scalable. As the organization grows, it won’t take more time to secure more data. Everything will be secured at the push of a button. And what can Azure Information Protection encrypt? Both emails and documents.

HOW DOES AZURE INFORMATION PROTECTION WORK?

When created, data is assigned a label. These sensitivity labels can be created in the admin centers. These are different from retention labels. AIP will then form a consistent, consolidated classification system throughout emails and documents. From then on, when data is shared that could be sensitive, users can be prompted to properly secure the information, or the sharing of the information can be prevented altogether. This reduces the amount of accidental data sharing that can occur. Files can have multiple labels, including both sensitivity labels and retention labels.

WHAT IS THE MOST SUITABLe MS AZURE INFORMATION PROTECTION LABEL?

Determining the most suitable label in Azure Information Protection for your data is a critical decision to make. You want data to be available to the people in your organization who need it, but you want to ensure that it’s available only to people who need it. 

When looking at what is the most suitable MS Azure Information Protection label while sharing a presentation, you might want to use Official or Confidential. You would not want it to be public.

HOW DO USERS ACCESS PROTECTED CONTENT IN AZURE INFORMATION PROTECTION?

Users need to have valid authentication to access protected content. Otherwise, the content will not be able to be decrypted. This provides an additional layer of security, as certain files cannot be opened by those who aren’t able to view them. By restricting access to protected content to only users who need to be able to view them, companies can reduce the chances that important data could be revealed through a single account being breached. This reduces risk overall.

The Azure Information Protection supported file types are emails and documents, so users will need to do something else for other types of protected content like databases.

WHAT TYPES OF DATA CAN AIP PROTECT?

AIP can protect documents and email messages. These messages can be automatically scanned for sensitive information and have this information flagged. However, AIP won’t be able to protect structured data like OneNote, databases and calendars; these items should never have classified or protected information in them. AIP can protect information both on-premises and on the cloud, making it a comprehensive solution for data across an organization.

IS AIP ALL YOU NEED FOR INFORMATION PROTECTION?

It’s important that organizations have comprehensive processes for information protection, in addition to their technology.  Employees need to know where to place information, how to protect the information and why it’s so important to protect that information. Most breaches occur due to employee oversight or employee mistake, which makes it all the more important that companies invest in training employees and ensuring that they know how to protect their systems. An MSP can help with both initial training and ongoing security training.

Today, most organizations are facing threats from every corner. Not only are there malicious attackers trying to steal sensitive information, but there is always the case that an employee may accidentally leak data that needs to be protected. The best way that companies can protect themselves is proactively.

With AIP, organizations are able to better improve upon and automate their security solutions, automatically scanning for, encrypting and protecting data. AIP can cut down on instances of accidentally (or, purposely) emailed personally identifiable information, documents with confidential information being passed back and forth unencrypted and other security issues.

Are you interested learning more about what AIP can do for your organization? Contact the experts at Red River to find out more.