This policy defines the formal framework for classifying and labeling all organizational information assets based on sensitivity, risk, and regulatory requirements. It ensures every piece of data is categorized and handled appropriately, supporting confidentiality and integrity across the enterprise.
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Apply Risk-Based Protection: Ensure that your most sensitive data receives the highest level of protection by implementing a clear, multi-tiered classification scheme.
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Enable Secure Data Handling: Empower employees to handle data correctly by using clear, persistent labels that communicate required security controls for storage, sharing, and disposal.
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Drive Compliance with GDPR & ISO 27001: Directly satisfy core requirements for data classification, a foundational control for data protection and privacy regulations.
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Integrate with Security Tools: Use classification metadata to automate and enforce security controls through Data Loss Prevention (DLP), encryption, and access control systems.
Read Full Overview
The Data Classification and Labeling Policy is designed to establish a clear and consistent framework for managing and protecting information assets. By classifying data based on sensitivity, risk exposure, and regulatory requirements, this policy ensures that all information is appropriately labeled to communicate necessary protection and handling levels. It applies to all forms of data across all environments and mandates a structured classification scheme that aligns with organizational risk management practices, thereby supporting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
What's Inside
- Purpose and Scope
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Data Classification Schema
- Data Labeling Standards
- Data Handling Controls
- Risk Treatment and Exceptions
- Enforcement and Compliance
Built for Leaders, By Leaders
This policy was authored by a security leader with 25+ years of experience deploying and auditing ISMS frameworks for global enterprises. It's designed not just to be a document, but a defensible framework that stands up to auditor scrutiny.
Authored by an expert holding:
Framework Compliance
🛡️ Supported Standards & Frameworks
This product is aligned with the following compliance frameworks, with detailed clause and control mappings.
| Framework | Covered Clauses / Controls |
|---|---|
| ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | Clause 4.2, 6.1.3, 7.2, 7.3, 7.5, 8.1 |
| ISO/IEC 27002:2022 | Controls 5.9-5.14, 8.11-8.12 |
| NIST SP 800-53 Rev.5 | AC-16, MP-3, MP-5, PL-2 |
| EU GDPR | Articles 5, 32 |
| EU NIS2 | Articles 21(2)(a), 21(3) |
| EU DORA | Articles 5, 9 |
| COBIT 2019 | DSS05.02, MEA03 |
Part of a Complete ISMS Toolkit
This policy is one of 37 documents in our complete toolkit. When implemented as a set, our framework helps you achieve comprehensive compliance across major standards.
100%
ISO 27001
95%
NIST
88%
NIS2
75%
DORA
70%
GDPR
Related Policies
This policy ensures consistent protection of information across its lifecycle when implemented with the following documents.
Access Control Policy (P4)
Ensures access to information is governed by its classification level.
User Account & Privilege Management Policy (P11)
Reinforces privilege allocation based on data classification tiers.
Asset Management Policy (P12)
Ensures the asset inventory reflects the classification of each item.
Data Retention and Disposal Policy (P14)
Defines retention and disposal rules based on data classification.
Cryptographic Controls Policy (P18)
Applies appropriate encryption standards based on classification.
About This Policy
The Clarysec Data Classification and Labeling Policy is a cornerstone of effective data governance and information security. It provides a structured, multi-tiered framework for categorizing all organizational data—from 'Public' to 'Restricted'—based on its sensitivity, criticality, and regulatory impact. This systematic approach is a core requirement for standards like ISO 27001 and regulations such as GDPR.
By implementing this policy, your organization can ensure that critical data is consistently protected with appropriate security controls, such as encryption and access restrictions. Clear labeling rules empower your employees to handle information responsibly, which is essential for preventing data leakage and demonstrating due diligence to auditors. This policy operationalizes data protection, turning an abstract concept into actionable, everyday practice.
