What is how to encrypt email in outlook?

Encrypting Emails in Outlook

Outlook offers several methods to encrypt your emails, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access. Here's a breakdown of the main approaches:

• S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions): This is the older, more established standard. It relies on digital certificates to encrypt and digitally sign your emails.

  • To use S/MIME, you'll need a digital certificate (also known as a digital ID). Your IT department might provide one if you're using Outlook in a business setting. Otherwise, you can obtain one from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). Once you have a certificate installed on your computer, you can configure Outlook to use it.
  • How it works: S/MIME encrypts the email content so only the intended recipient with the corresponding private key can decrypt it. It also adds a digital signature to verify the sender's identity and ensure the message hasn't been tampered with.
  • Learn more about S/MIME%20Encryption.

• Microsoft Purview Message Encryption (Formerly Azure Information Protection): This is a cloud-based encryption service provided by Microsoft. It offers more flexibility and features compared to S/MIME.

  • How it works: Message Encryption allows you to send protected emails to anyone, regardless of whether they use Outlook or another email client. Recipients can read the protected email through a web portal, even if they don't have a Microsoft account.
  • Key features: Message Encryption supports various rights management features, such as preventing recipients from forwarding, printing, or copying the email. It also provides tracking and revocation capabilities, allowing you to revoke access to an encrypted email even after it has been sent.
  • To use Message Encryption, your organization needs to have a subscription to Microsoft 365 that includes Azure Information Protection.
  • Find more details on Microsoft%20Purview%20Message%20Encryption.

• Sensitivity Labels (Microsoft Purview): While not strictly encryption itself, sensitivity labels, part of Microsoft Purview, can trigger encryption based on the label applied.

  • Your organization can define sensitivity labels (e.g., "Confidential", "Highly Confidential") and associate them with specific actions, including applying encryption. When a user applies a sensitivity label to an email, Outlook automatically encrypts the message based on the configured settings.
  • Discover information about Sensitivity%20Labels.

Steps to Encrypt an Email (using S/MIME - example):

1. In Outlook, start a new email message.
2. Go to the "Options" tab.
3. Click "Encrypt" and select "Encrypt with S/MIME". You might also see a "Sign" button to digitally sign the email.
4. Compose your email and send it.

Important Considerations:

• Recipient Support: For S/MIME, the recipient must have a compatible email client that supports S/MIME and have your certificate installed.
• Key Management: Securely store your private key. If you lose it, you won't be able to decrypt emails you've sent or received.
• Organizational Policies: Check with your IT department for specific guidelines and policies regarding email encryption within your organization.