Microsoft Purview Information Protection in M365 Apps - January 2023

📣 Update March 14, 2023: The new configuration that disables Azure Information Protection Add-in in Office has started rolling. See schedule below.

Happy new year and welcome back to the quarterly newsletter from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook discussing what’s new and coming soon when using sensitivity labels, powered by Microsoft Purview Information Protection. We pick up where we left off in October 2022.

From Bolt-On to Built-In: Recap

In October 2022,

• We shared our vision to help customers modernize their information protection experience in Microsoft 365 Apps, starting with a new configuration for Office apps that disables Microsoft’s legacy sensitivity labeling add-in (Azure Information Protection Add-in). 
• We launched a preview program for customers to start using the built-in replacement to the AIP Add-in and provides early access to new innovations across the M365 apps, using sensitivity labels powered by Microsoft Purview Information Protection.
• We published a comprehensive playbook that guides customers through a straightforward 5-step migration process alongside an in-depth feature comparison guide.

In November 2022,

• We updated the support lifecycle for all the tools packaged in the Azure Information Protection Unified Labeling Client (AIP ULC), like Classify and Protect, Scanner, and Viewer. We encourage you to continue using these tools to meet your information protection needs when not using M365 apps.

From Bolt-On to Built-In: January March 2023

If your organization is ready to make the transition to built-in labeling for M365 apps, review how to configure current versions of Office to disable the AIP add-in and get started today.

If you're waiting for the Office version containing the new configuration settings that disable the AIP add-in automatically, we're extending the preview period for two months to provide more opportunities to try out the features listed in the Coming Soon section below.

• If you're using the more frequent channels of Office, such as Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel, the new configuration will be available starting in version 2302 (instead of the originally planned version 2212).
• If you're using the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel, there is no change to the target version 2302.

Please review the information below if your organization uses the Azure Information Protection (AIP) Add-in. The table summarizes the changes to the minimum version and dates for the new configuration. We're committed to helping organizations manage this transition at their own pace. If the release timeline isn't appropriate for you while the AIP add-in is in support, you can opt-out of the new configuration at any time, even if the Office build hasn't deployed in your organization yet.

Unsure where to begin? Head to https://aka.ms/AIP2MIP/HowTo/GetStarted for resources and options to get added assistance.

📣 Update March 14, 2023: The table below was updated with latest status of the new configuration. 

System administrators can review the Microsoft 365 admin message center for information about this update.

What’s New

In case you missed it, let’s summarize the recent capabilities for sensitivity labels in Office available in current channel. These features are exclusively available when using Purview Information Protection with the built-in labeling client for Office; none of these features are available with AIP Add-in. Review a complete list of features for built-in labeling and their availability on other platforms or release channels.

📣 Update March 14, 2023: The table below was updated latest status of features.

	Emails can be encrypted with S/MIME as an outcome of labeling.   Requires current channel version 2211+. Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 93199 | Compliance Admin Support
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook	Configuration change in Office that disables AIP add-in by default, with an opt-out policy admins can configure to delay the transition to the built-in labeling.     Requires current channel version 2302+. Learn more: Compliance Admin Support
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook	Sensitivity bar provides end-users with a prominent, streamlined user experience for viewing and applying sensitivity labels.   Requires current channel version 2302+. Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 88517 | Office Insiders Blog | Compliance Admin Support | End-User Support
	Users can restrict access to domain names when using user-defined permissions, allowing them to specify domain names to restrict access to all domains in the organization.   Requires current channel version 2212+. Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 98131 | Compliance Admin Support
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook	Improved logging of protection scenarios by including protection properties in the activity and content explorer audit logs.   Requires current channel version 2301+. Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 98135. | Compliance Admin Support
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook	New compliance configuration for scoping labels based on files vs. emails, empowering admins with more flexibility when deploying sensitivity labeling policies.   Requires current channel version 2301+. Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 99939 | Compliance admin support
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook	Assign a sublabel as the default when a parent label is selected: Admins can specify a sublabel to get applied automatically when a parent label is selected. This takes effect only when users select a parent label manually.   Requires current channel version 2301+. Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 115481 | Compliance admin support
	New email collaboration rules, allowing admins to configure block/warn/justify experience when users send emails containing sensitive labels externally.   Rolling out to Beta Channel Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 100255 Compliance admin support
	New automation for labeling emails based on their attachments’ labels, ensuring there’s one less step needed by end-users to protect their communications using context from their attachments.   Rolling out to Beta Channel Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 100490 Compliance admin support

Coming soon

We’re excited about the continued improvements and new scenarios coming to sensitivity labels built-in to Office apps in the next few months. Keep an eye out for these changes coming to Current Channel. Some of these features may already be available in a limited preview. We encourage organizations to consider the preview program that’s right for them to validate upcoming features before they’re generally available.

	SharePoint document libraries can apply a default label to new or edited files, offering a baseline level of protection based on the document’s cloud location, and a form of automatic labeling without content inspection.   Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 85621 | Tech Community Blog | Compliance Admin Support
	Multiple users can edit encrypted documents on mobile devices, enabling Office’s collaboration tools on the go, from any device.   Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 88512 | Tech Community blog | Compliance Admin Support
	New sensitive information types and trainable classifiers provide you the most relevant sensitivity labels based on the context they’re found in, such as credentials –access keys, tokens, general passwords, etc.   Learn more: Microsoft 365 Roadmap 82116 | Tech Community blog |

Get started today

Whether you’re a new customer starting to use sensitivity labels in Office for the first time, or are transitioning from the legacy AIP Add-in, here are some strategies to consider as you evaluate your adoption plans:

• Review the licensing and system requirements for using built-in labeling in Office.
• Review the existing capabilities of built-in labeling that you can begin evaluating today.
  • Tip: Create a script on your desktop to toggle the AIP Add-in on/off with a click. This will allow you to easily test how the built-in labeling responds to your current labeling policies that are already supported in your release channel.
• Evaluate whether to opt-out of disabling the AIP Add-in. We recommend using this for customers who have regulatory obligations and require AIP Add-in functionality that’s not yet supported with built-in labeling.
  • Tip: Don’t delay your organization’s planning until your required features are supported in your release channel. It’s recommended to begin your planning now to allow you time to manage change effectively.
  • Tip: Reach out to your Microsoft account or support team for assistance.