Sensitivity labels for secure Microsoft file sharing will be available on April 9

Following a successful pilot, on Thursday, April 9, 2026, UIT will release new IT security protection labels universitywide for Microsoft 365 (M365) files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) that are stored in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams.

Sensitivity labels classify and protect data by applying electronic tags to M365 files. They’re intended to reduce accidental oversharing, apply consistent handling protections, and improve readiness for future IT security controls and artificial intelligence-related scenarios. Sensitivity labels facilitate secure data sharing with colleagues across the University of Utah and University of Utah Health and comply with Rule R4-004C: Data Classification and Encryption.

Starting April 9, when a user opens a Microsoft file, a Sensitivity button will appear in the Microsoft toolbar, shown below.

Available labels and general use cases:

• Personal: Non-university business
• Public: Public-facing content (e.g., marketing materials and press releases)
• General: Internal university business; no sensitive data
• Sensitive: Internal non-public information (e.g., reports, contracts, and student data)
• *Sensitive – External: Sensitive information shared securely with approved external parties
• *Restricted: High-risk/regulated data (e.g., protected health information [PHI], payment card industry [PCI] data, social security numbers [SSNs], and donor information)
• *Restricted – External: Highly sensitive information shared securely with external partners

*These file types are encrypted.

This initiative doesn’t impact how email attachments sent to non-university email accounts are encrypted via Outlook.

For more information, including instructions on how to apply or change a label, please access this IT Knowledge Base article.

If you have questions, your local IT support staff may be able to assist, or you may contact your respective help desk:

• Campus UIT Help Desk: 801-581-4000
• University of Utah Health ITS Service Desk: 801-587-6000

Additional resources:

• Node 4 article about sensitivity labels
• Explore sensitivity labels
• Known issues with sensitivity labels in Office