Microsoft Purview compliance portal: PDF files encrypted with sensitivity label can be searched and eDiscovered

Microsoft Purview compliance portal: PDF files encrypted with sensitivity label can be searched and eDiscovered

Public preview alert. We have started rolling out support for labeled PDF files in SharePoint Online. SharePoint now supports search, eDiscovery, DLP for sensitivity label encrypted PDFs. The sensitivity column will start showing the label names for newly uploaded PDF files.

When this will happen:

Preview: This rollout is underway and expected to complete by late July 2023.

How this will affect your organization:

Once the changes are rolled out to your tenant, the following are the changes you can expect: 

1. The sensitivity column will start showing the label names for newly uploaded PDF files. 
2. You can perform user search and eDiscovery search on sensitivity label encrypted PDF files. 
3. You can apply labels to PDF files at rest in SharePoint using Autolabeling. Learn more: Automatically apply a sensitivity label in Microsoft 365 – Microsoft Purview (compliance) | Microsoft Learn 
4. If you default SharePoint document library labels configured, then newly uploaded PDF files will start showing the label name in the sensitivity column. 
5. If you want to remove labels with encryption from PDFs then you can use this cmdlet: Unlock-SPOSensitivityLabelEncryptedFile. 
6. Viewing protected PDFs in SharePoint and OneDrive will be supported in the following clients on 

Desktop: 

• Edge in the browser to view directly on SharePoint and OneDrive (user must be signed in)
• Adobe for downloaded files * 
• FoxIt for downloaded files * 
• NitroPDF * 
• AIP viewer for downloaded files* 

Mobile: 

• AIP viewer 
• FoxIt 

* Note that using a PDF reader that requires download may conflict with DLP policies that prevent download of files

What you need to do to prepare:

1. With this release you can expect more PDF files to be protected via sensitivity labels and encryption. You should prepare to train your users on methods to view protected PDFs both in browser and apps as described above.
2. Note that this functionality is default turned OFF. If your organization is ready for consumption of sensitivity label encrypted PDF files, you have the option to enable this functionality via SharePoint Admin PowerShell cmdlet.
         a. Set-SPOTenant -EnableSensitivityLabelforPDF $true

Please note that it may take around 15 minutes after this setting is enabled for labeling of PDFs to occur. 

Additional information