Microsoft Information Protection File SDK - Action Justification for lowering a sensitivity label on a file (C++)

Article
01/30/2024

This quickstart addresses handling of a downgrade label operation when the label policy requires justification. Here, we will use mip::FileHandler class for changing the labels of a file. For further details consult API reference.

Prerequisites

If you haven't already, be sure to complete the following prerequisites before continuing:

Complete Quickstart: Set/get sensitivity labels(C++) first, which builds a starter Visual Studio solution, to list an organization's sensitivity labels, to set and read sensitivity labels to/from a file. This "How to - Downgrade/Remove a label that needs a justification (C++)" Quickstart builds on the previous one.
Optionally: Review File handlers concepts in the MIP SDK concepts.

Add logic to set a lower label to a protected file

Add logic to set a sensitivity label on a file, using the mip::FileHandler object.

Open the Visual Studio solution you created in the previous Quickstart: Set/get sensitivity labels(C++).
Using Solution Explorer, open the .cpp file in your project that contains the implementation of the main() method. It defaults to the same name as the project containing it, which you specified during project creation.
Add the following #include and using directives, below the corresponding existing directives, at the top of the file:
```
    #include "mip/file/file_error.h"

    using mip::JustificationRequiredError;
    using std::cin;
```
Update the <label-id> value from previous quickstart to a sensitivity label which requires justification for lowering. During this quickstart run, we'll set this label first and then try to lower it via code snippets in further steps.
Toward the end of the main() body, below system("pause"); and above shutdown block (where you left off in the previous Quickstart), insert the following code:


// Downgrade label
// Set paths and lower label ID
// Set a new label on input file.

string lowerlabelId = "<lower-label-id>";
cout << "\nApplying new Label ID " << lowerlabelId << " to " << filePathOut << endl;
mip::LabelingOptions labelingOptions(mip::AssignmentMethod::PRIVILEGED);

// Try to apply a label with lower sensitivity.
try
{
    handler->SetLabel(engine->GetLabelById(lowerlabelId), labelingOptions, mip::ProtectionSettings());
}

catch (const mip::JustificationRequiredError& e)
{
    // Request justification from user.
    cout<<"Please provide justification for downgrading a label: "<<endl;
    string justification;
    cin >> justification;

    // Set Justification provided flag
    bool isDowngradeJustified = true;
    mip::LabelingOptions labelingOptions(mip::AssignmentMethod::PRIVILEGED);
    labelingOptions.SetDowngradeJustification(isDowngradeJustified,justification);

    //Set new label.
    handler->SetLabel(engine->GetLabelById(lowerlabelId), labelingOptions, mip::ProtectionSettings());
}

catch (const std::exception& e)
{
    cout << "An exception occurred... did you specify a valid label ID?\n\n" << e.what() << "'\n";
    system("pause");
    return 1;
}

// Commit changes, save as a different output file
string lowerFilePathOut = "<lower-output-file-path>";
try
{
    cout << "Committing changes" << endl;
    auto commitPromise = std::make_shared<std::promise<bool>>();
    auto commitFuture = commitPromise->get_future();
    handler->CommitAsync(lowerFilePathOut, commitPromise);
    if (commitFuture.get()) {
        cout << "\nLabel committed to file: " << lowerFilePathOut << endl;
    }
    else {
        cout << "Failed to label: " + lowerFilePathOut << endl;
        return 1;
    }
}
catch (const std::exception& e)
{
    cout << "An exception occurred... did you specify a valid commit file path?\n\n" << e.what() << "'\n";
    system("pause");
    return 1;
}
system("pause");

// Set up async FileHandler for output file operations
string lowerActualFilePath = "<lower-content-identifier>";
try
{
    auto handlerPromise = std::make_shared<std::promise<std::shared_ptr<FileHandler>>>();
    auto handlerFuture = handlerPromise->get_future();
    engine->CreateFileHandlerAsync(
        lowerFilePathOut,
        lowerActualFilePath,
        true,
        std::make_shared<FileHandlerObserver>(),
        handlerPromise);

    handler = handlerFuture.get();
}
catch (const std::exception& e)
{
    cout << "An exception occurred... did you specify a valid output file path?\n\n" << e.what() << "'\n";
    system("pause");
    return 1;
}

// Get the lowered label from output file
try
{
    cout << "\nGetting the label committed to file: " << lowerFilePathOut << endl;
    auto lowerLabel = handler->GetLabel();
    cout << "Name: " + lowerLabel->GetLabel()->GetName() << endl;
    cout << "Id: " + lowerLabel->GetLabel()->GetId() << endl;
}
catch (const std::exception& e)
{
    cout << "An exception occurred... did you specify a valid label ID?\n\n" << e.what() << "'\n";
    system("pause");
    return 1;
}
system("pause");

Replace the placeholder values in the source code using the following values:

Placeholder	Value
<lower-label-id>	A label ID, copied from the console output in the previous Quickstart, for example: `bb7ed207-046a-4caf-9826-647cff56b990`. Make sure it has lower sensitivity than the previously protected file label.
<lower-output-file-path>	The output file path you want to save modified file to.
<lower-content-identifier>	A human-readable identifier for the content.

Build and test the application

Build and test your client application.

Use CTRL-SHIFT-B (Build Solution) to build your client application. If you have no build errors, use F5 (Start debugging) to run your application.
If your project builds and runs successfully, the application prompts for an access token, each time the SDK calls your AcquireOAuth2Token() method.

  Non-Business : 87ba5c36-17cf-14793-bbc2-bd5b3a9f95cz
  Public : 83867195-f2b8-2ac2-b0b6-6bb73cb33afz
  General : f42a3342-8706-4288-bd31-ebb85995028z
  Confidential : 074e457c-5848-4542-9a6f-34a182080e7z
  Highly Confidential : f55c2dea-db0f-47cd-8520-a52e1590fb6z
  Press any key to continue . . .

  Applying Label ID f55c2dea-db0f-47cd-8520-a52e1590fb6z to c:\Test\Test.docx
  Committing changes


  Label committed to file: c:\Test\Test.docx
  Press any key to continue . . .

  Run the PowerShell script to generate an access token using the following values, then copy/paste it below:
  Set $authority to: https://login.windows.net/37f4583d-9985-4e7f-a1ab-71afd8b55ba0
  Set $resourceUrl to: https://aadrm.com
  Sign in with user account: user1@tenant.onmicrosoft.com
  Enter access token: <paste-access-token-here>
  Press any key to continue . . .

  Getting the label committed to file: c:\Test\Test_labeled.docx
  Name: Highly Confidential
  Id: f55c2dea-db0f-47cd-8520-a52e1590fb6z
  Press any key to continue . . . 

  Applying new Label ID f42a3342-8706-4288-bd31-ebb85995028z to c:\Test\Test_labeled.docx
  Please provide justification for downgrading a label:
  Need for sharing with wider audience.
  Committing changes

  Label committed to file: c:\Test\Test_downgraded.docx
  Press any key to continue . . .

  Getting the label committed to file: c:\Test\Test_downgraded.docx
  Name: General
  Id: f42a3342-8706-4288-bd31-ebb85995028z
  Press any key to continue . . .

Please note, in case the label being deleted from a file requires a justification as per label policy, similar approach should be followed for DeleteLabel() operation. DeleteLabel() function throws a mip::JustificationRequiredError exception. isDowngradeJustified flag should be set to true in exception handling before deleting the label successfully.

Microsoft Information Protection File SDK - Action Justification for lowering a sensitivity label on a file (C++)

Prerequisites

Add logic to set a lower label to a protected file

Build and test the application

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Additional resources