How To Use Sensitivity Labels

Labels are a simple way to mark how sensitive a document or email is, so everyone handles university information consistently. 

What is a sensitivity label? 

A sensitivity label is a tag you apply to a document or email that describes how the information should be treated. Applying a label takes one click, and the label travels with the file wherever it goes. 

The General label will be applied to new files by default. The General label is informational and helps everyone handle information consistently. The Confidential label goes a step further and encrypts what you label, so only authorized people can open it — see below for what that means in practice. 

General 

Use General for most everyday university work — information that can be shared within Tarleton, and often publicly, without causing harm if it's seen by others. 

Examples of General information: 

• Public announcements, newsletters, and marketing materials 

• Published course materials and syllabi 

• Routine internal communications and meeting notes (with no sensitive data) 

• General business documents, forms, and templates 

• Anything already published on a public Tarleton website 

If the information is meant to be shared openly or wouldn't cause a problem if disclosed, General is the right choice. 

The General label can be identified with a green shield icon, located near your file name when using Office products. 

Confidential 

Use Confidential for sensitive information that must be protected and shared only with people who need it. This includes anything protected by law, university policy, or contract. 

Examples of Confidential information: 

• Student education records and grades (protected under FERPA) 

• Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information (PII) 

• Financial, payment card, or financial-aid data 

• Employee personnel records 

• Health-related information 

• Login credentials, security details, or system configurations 

• Restricted or non-public research data 

When in doubt, choose Confidential. It's always safer to over-protect information than to under-protect it. 

What happens when you use Confidential  

The Confidential label automatically encrypts your document or email. In plain terms: 

• Only authorized people can open it. Anyone you share it with will need to sign in with their account to confirm they're allowed to see it. 

• The protection travels with the file. Even if it's downloaded, copied, or forwarded, it stays encrypted — the protection can't be stripped off by moving the file somewhere else.