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Quick Links: | General Information | Using Labels | Troubleshooting and Support |
General Purview Information
What is Microsoft Purview, and why is Chico State implementing it?
Microsoft Purview is a data protection and compliance platform that helps safeguard sensitive university data, such as student records, donor information, and institutional documents, through features like encryption, role-based access, and sensitive data labels. Purview protects data across Google, Box, and Microsoft 365 services like Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, supporting compliance, risk mitigation, and secure collaboration.
What changes should I expect?
- Sensitive Data Labels: You’ll see new labels in Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to help identify and protect sensitive information.
- Secure Data Sharing: Automatic protections will be applied when sharing files, ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive content.
- Alerts & Restrictions: You may encounter sharing restrictions or alerts if sensitive data is detected, helping you stay compliant and secure.
How is my privacy protected?
Purview monitors activities related to sensitive data, such as when files or emails containing student records, financial information, or other protected data are created, accessed, shared, or labeled. Audit logs are only accessible to authorized compliance personnel at Chico State, used for investigating security incidents, ensuring compliance, and responding to requests from university leadership or legal authorities. Regular faculty, staff, and students do not have access to audit logs.
- Strict access controls: Only designated compliance staff can view audit logs, and their access is logged and reviewed.
- Purpose limitation: Audit logs are used solely for security, compliance, and operational needs, not for monitoring personal behavior or non-university activities.
- Transparency: Chico State communicates what is monitored and why, and provides guidance on privacy rights and responsibilities.
- Data minimization: Only necessary information is logged, such as actions taken on sensitive files/emails, not the full content of every message or document.
Your personal files and communications are not subject to Purview monitoring unless they contain university-sensitive data or are stored on university-registered devices and systems. For privacy questions, contact the Teams chat or the Chico State compliance office.
What training is available to learn more about Purview?
You can learn more about Microsoft Purview in several ways:
- Lunch & Learn Presentation: The Lunch & Learn PowerPoint is available in the Attachments section on the right-hand side of this Knowledge Base article.
- Future Workshops: Watch for announcements about upcoming training sessions and workshops hosted by the Division of IT.
- Review KB Articles: Explore other Microsoft Purview Knowledge Base articles for detailed step-by-step guides and best practices.
- Ongoing Support: Join the Microsoft Purview group chat in Teams for more questions and support.
Using Labels
What are labels, and how do I use them?
Understanding sensitivity labels before applying them is important. Each label helps protect university data at the appropriate level. Choose the label that best matches the type of information you are working with and who should have access to it.
- Personal: Non-university data, for personal use only. Protections: None.
- Level 3 – General: University data approved for public consumption. Protections: None.
- Level 2 – Internal Use:
- Faculty and Staff: University data not approved for public consumption or sharing outside the organization. Protections: Files and emails accessible only to internal Chico State Faculty and Staff.
- Students: University data not approved for public consumption or sharing outside the organization. Protections: Files and emails accessible only to internal Chico State Students.
- Level 1 – Confidential:
- Faculty and Staff: Sensitive university data that could cause damage if shared with unauthorized people. Protections: Files and emails accessible only to internal Chico State Faculty and Staff. Recipients cannot forward, copy, or print contents.
- Students: Sensitive university data that could cause damage if shared with unauthorized people. Protections: Files and emails accessible only to internal Chico State Students. Recipients cannot forward, copy, or print contents.
How does Purview affect sharing files, sending emails, and collaborating with external partners?
Purview applies protections automatically when sensitive data is detected. You may see prompts or restrictions when sharing documents or sending emails containing sensitive information. If you attempt to share a file or email labeled as Internal or Confidential with someone outside Chico State (such as a vendor, external partner, or personal email), Purview will block the sharing or display a warning. Recipients outside the organization will not be able to open, forward, copy, or print the contents, depending on the label’s settings.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Policies: DLP policies scan outgoing emails and files for sensitive information. If DLP detects sensitive data being sent externally, it may block the transmission, display a warning, or require additional justification or approval before sending.
- Exceptions and Secure Sharing: If you have a legitimate need to share sensitive data externally, approved secure sharing methods (such as encrypted links or guest access with strict controls) are required. Always consult your department’s guidelines or contact the Teams Chat for help with special cases.
What happens if I send a labeled file to someone who doesn’t have access?
If you send a labeled file or email to someone who doesn’t have access, the recipient will be prompted to sign in with a valid Chico State account.
If the recipient should have access but cannot open the file or email, they can try the following steps:
- Switch devices or browsers: Attempt to access the file/email from a different computer, mobile device, or web browser.
- Check error messages: Take note of any warnings or error codes that appear, as these can help IT diagnose the issue.
- Get support: Contact the Microsoft Purview group chat in Teams.
Do sensitivity labels get assigned or changed automatically?
By default, Purview assigns all new files and emails to Level 3 – General.
Sensitive information type detection is also applied behind the scenes. These policies look for patterns such as Social Security numbers or credit card numbers, along with secondary indicators like the words “SSN” or “Credit Card” to confirm the context and reduce false positives.
If this type of sensitive information is detected, the file or email itself may not be relabeled, but protection policies are automatically enforced to keep the data secure.
For example:
- If you try to send an email with multiple credit card numbers to a non-Chico State email, Outlook will display a warning notice.
- The email will be blocked by the Chico State mail server, and you will receive a bounce-back message explaining why it wasn’t delivered.
Sample Bounce-back Message:
Your email message conflicts with a policy in your organization. The message wasn't delivered to all recipients.
Issues:
- Message is sent to people outside your organization.
- Message contains the following sensitive information: Credit Card Number
Troubleshooting and Support
What should I do if I encounter an error or unexpected restriction?
- Check that you are signed in with your Chico State credentials and are using a supported Microsoft 365 app (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Teams).
- Try accessing the file/email from a different device or browser.
- Check if the file/email is labeled with a sensitive data label that restricts access.
- If you still cannot access the content, take note of any error messages or warnings, and try to reproduce the issue with other files/emails.
- Contact the Microsoft Purview group chat in Teams for support.
When reporting an issue, provide clear details: what you were trying to do, file/email name and location, screenshots of the error, device/app/browser used, and steps already tried. This helps IT quickly diagnose whether the issue is a policy restriction or a technical problem needing resolution.
How do I access files on mobile devices or personal computers?
To access files protected by Purview on mobile devices or personal computers, ensure you are signed in with your Chico State credentials and using supported Microsoft 365 apps. Some features may require the latest app versions or additional security settings. For help, contact the Microsoft Purview group chat in Teams or IT Support Services directly.
Still need help? Contact IT Support Services for further assistance.
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