Protective markings
All information handled by the department and shared with its agencies, partners, and third-party providers is labelled with protective markings.
Protective markings are labels applied to Outlook and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) documents. They signify the confidentiality requirements of the information, informing the level of security control to be applied.
Protective markings are mandatory for all Victorian public sector organisations under the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards (VPDSS). The standards are administered by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC).
Your contact within the department may request you confirm the privacy and security requirements of the information you have provided. Department staff will not contact you unexpectedly and will only contact you if there is a prior correspondence.
Protective markings labels guide
The table below outlines the protective markings used in the department.
Protective marking name and description | Examples of information |
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UNOFFICIAL Personal or non-work-related material |
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OFFICIAL Most routine emails and documents. This is the most common classification in the department. |
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OFFICIAL: SENSITIVE Information that if compromised could cause limited damage to government operations, organisations and/or individuals. |
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PROTECTED Information that if compromised could cause major damage to the Victorian Government, commercial entities or members of the public. |
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PROTECTED: CABINET-IN-CONFIDENCE Information prepared for consideration by or that discloses a deliberation or decision by Cabinet or a Cabinet Committee. |
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SECRET Information that if compromised could cause serious damage to national security, the Victorian Government, nationally important economic and commercial interests, or threaten life. Recipients of this material should also hold the appropriate security clearance. Secret information is rare to none within the department unless you deal with highly sensitive issue, you are unlikely to encounter this information. |
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Need more information?
If you have queries regarding emails or documents received from the department with a protective marking, you can contact the author to understand the security requirements of the information.
Page last updated: 29 May 2025