How can i get the new version of Outlook to encrypt a message with a confidential label the same as it does for a restricted label

Good day Martha, 

When the Confidential label isn't configured with encryption in Microsoft Purview. In New Outlook, a sensitivity label only encrypts a message when encryption settings are explicitly configured within that label.  

I recommend that the organization's IT administrator review the Microsoft Purview Confidential label configuration to ensure it has been set up correctly: 

Note: If you don't have sufficient administrative permissions, please contact your Global Administrator for assistance. In case you do not know who is your Global admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

Open Microsoft Purview > Information Protection > Sensitivity labels. 

Edit the Confidential label. 

Confirm that the label applies to Emails. 

Under the protection settings, enable Control access and configure encryption permissions. 

Save the changes and publish the updated label if required. 

After the configuration is updated, create a new email in New Outlook, apply the Confidential label and send a test message to confirm that encryption and access restrictions are applied as expected. 

If encryption is already configured for the label, please verify that: 

The Confidential label is published to the affected user. 

The publishing policy includes Exchange. 

The label is enabled and enforced. 

The mailbox is hosted in Exchange Online. 

The user has a supported Microsoft 365 license. 

As an additional check, please test the same Confidential label in Outlook on the web: 

If the email isn't encrypted there either, the issue is related to the sensitivity label configuration or publishing policy. 

Please note that Rights Management protection cannot be applied to messages that are already protected with S/MIME encryption or signing. 

Additional information is available in the following resources: 

Sensitivity labels are missing - Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn 

Apply encryption using sensitivity labels | Microsoft Learn 

If encryption works in Outlook on the web but not in New Outlook, further investigation of the New Outlook client is required. The organization's IT admin may consider contacting Microsoft Support through the Microsoft 365 admin center > Support > Help & Support. 

A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.    

If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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