With the majority of companies transitioning to hybrid working, for some this has meant security taking a back seat. With Microsoft 365 you don’t need to choose flexibility or security – you can have both.

One of the available tools that enables you to maintain security with ease without sacrificing flexibility, is Azure Information Protection (AIP).

Set limits on documents and users’ actions

The main functionality of AIP is the ability for companies to set limits on documents and users’ actions. You’re able to choose who can view, print, copy from, and send documents, both from OneDrive and SharePoint, and from your email. AIP also enables you to rescind access to a document after granting permissions, either manually or on a set timer (you might choose to rescind a user’s access to the document after three weeks for example).

Office 365 Message Encryption (OME) is an important aspect of AIP allowing you to encrypt your emails meaning the information is only accessible with the correct permissions and is unreadable to anybody else. This adds an important additional layer of security.

AIP works with many different file types including PDFs, XPS, and the Office suite files.

Why do I need it?

AIP helps you understand and control where your data goes and how it is used. It can help you to:

• Prevent your data being copied, modified, or stored without you knowing
• Prevent unauthorised users from viewing your data
• Have more control over your data by understanding who is using your data and how they’re using it
• Meet compliance requirements

One of the huge benefits of AIP is its granular level of detail, which is particularly beneficial to heavily regulated industries. AIP can help you understand and demonstrate how data is handled, the processes for handling data, and how and when you’ll delete the data. AIP is just one tool that, when used correctly, could help you manage and maintain key aspects of your compliance, particularly if it is used alongside other security tools to build a wider security suite.

Availability

AIP is available as an add-on to all Microsoft 365 plans, however it comes as standard in the Office 365 E3 and E5 plans. You can also buy it through the Enterprise, Mobility and Security Suite (EMS).