Encrypting an email message usually means converting it from readable plain text into scrambled cipher text. Only the recipient, who has the private key matching the public key used to encrypt the message, can decipher it. Anyone who doesn’t have the key only sees garbled text.
How to Protect Your Emails
All emails sent using Gmail, Outlook, or iOS can be encrypted by default. When you encrypt all outgoing messages by default, you compose and send emails as you normally would, but recipients need a digital ID or passcode to view them. Here’s how to add this extra layer of security in Gmail and Outlook.
Gmail
Gmail’s encryption is called Confidential Mode. You can toggle it on or off by clicking the lock icon at the bottom of a new message. From here, you can set an expiration date and a passcode. The passcode can be sent to either a person’s email or via text.
Outlook
In Outlook, you can choose to encrypt a single message or encrypt all outgoing messages.
To encrypt a single message: Select File > Properties > Security Settings and click the Encrypt message contents and attachments checkbox.To encrypt all outgoing messages: Select File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Email Security. Under Encrypted email, select the Encrypt contents and attachments for outgoing messages check box.
Things to Keep in Mind
There are a few things to keep in mind when using encrypted emails:
Sending and viewing encrypted email messages requires both sender and recipient to share their digital ID or public key certificate. This means you and the recipient each must send the other a digitally signed message, which enables you to add the other person’s certificate to your Contacts. You can’t encrypt email messages without a digital ID.If you send an encrypted message to a recipient whose email setup doesn’t support encryption, you have the option of sending the message in an unencrypted format.This process also encrypts any attachments sent with encrypted messages.
Additional Email Security Tips
Here are some additional steps you can take to make sure your emails are secure from prying eyes:
Make Sure Automatic Windows Log-On is Not Enabled
Windows automatically logging in a particular user (i.e. you) when it starts up is convenient but it lets whoever restarts the computer get to your emails. Here’s how to disable that behavior:
Encrypt Your Mail Files and Folders
If you can’t make files used by your email program private using the above methods, you can try protecting the folder your email program with a folder protection program. Here are a few to try:
Folder Guard Encrypt My Folder Universal Shield
