Information Rights Management (IRM) helps prevent sensitive information from being printed, forwarded, or copied by unauthorized people. The permissions are stored in the document, workbook, presentation, or e-mail message, where they are authenticated by an IRM server.
To view rights-managed content that you have permissions to by using Microsoft 365, just open the document, workbook, or presentation.
The first time that you open a document, workbook, or presentation with restricted permission, you'll connect to a licensing server to verify your credentials and to download a use license.
If you want to view the permissions you have, either click View Permission in the Message Bar or click one of the following in the status bar at the bottom of the screen:
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This document contains a permissions policy
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This workbook contains a permissions policy
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This presentation contains a permissions policy
If you are denied access to a file, it is usually because the account you are using does not have the correct rights to open the file. In certain cases, access may be denied because the version of Office you are using does not support an information protection policy applied to the file. For example, files that are protected with a sensitivity label configured for dynamic watermarking can only open in version 2411+.
If you see an error message indicating that you cannot access the file because of the version of Office you are using, try updating to the latest version of Office or opening your file using Office for web.
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Open the document that has restricted permissions.
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If this is the first time that you are accessing the licensing server, enter your user name and password for the licensing server, and then select the Save password in Mac OS keychain check box.
Tip: If you do not select the Save password in Mac OS keychain check box, you might have to enter your user name and password multiple times.
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The Message Bar appears and displays a message that the document is rights-managed. On the Message Bar, click View Permissions.
Note: If you have Full Control permission, the Message Bar displays Change Permissions.
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Under Permissions, view the list of tasks that you can perform with the file. Under Restrictions, view the list of tasks that you cannot perform with the file.
If you are denied access to a file, it is usually because the account you are using does not have the correct rights to open the file. In certain cases, access may be denied because the version of Office you are using does not support an information protection policy applied to the file. For example, files that are protected with a sensitivity label configured for dynamic watermarking can only open in version 16.87+.
If you see an error message indicating that you cannot access the file because of the version of Office you are using, try updating to the latest version of Office or opening your file using Office for web.
Information Rights Management (IRM) helps do the following:
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Prevent an authorized recipient of restricted content from forwarding, copying, changing, printing, faxing, or pasting the content for unauthorized use
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Restrict content wherever it is sent
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Provide file expiration so that content in documents can no longer be viewed after a specified time
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Enforce corporate policies that govern the use and dissemination of content within the company
IRM can't prevent restricted content from being:
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Erased, stolen, or captured and transmitted by malicious programs such as Trojan horses, keystroke loggers, and certain kinds of spyware
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Lost or corrupted because of the actions of computer viruses
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Hand-copied or retyped from a display on a recipient's screen
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Digitally photographed (when displayed on a screen) by a recipient
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Copied by using third-party screen-capture programs
