Methods to Send a Secure Email in Microsoft Outlook

Read time: 7 minutes

To safeguard the privacy of your email communication, employ encryption. In Outlook, messages undergo encryption by transforming from plain text to secure cipher text. The recipient can only decipher the message if their private key aligns with the public key employed for encryption. Without a private key, recipients will perceive the content as unintelligible text. Outlook offers two encryption alternatives for securing emails:
S/MIME Encryption: Both the sender and recipient of emails must utilize mail applications that are compatible with S/MIME encryption. Microsoft Outlook is one such program that supports S/MIME.

Microsoft 365 Message Encryption: To utilize Microsoft 365 Message Encryption, you’ll need a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 license, which includes access to this feature.

Sending Secure Email in Microsoft Outlook

Encryption can be utilized by Windows desktop clients exclusively for Microsoft 365 subscribers. Prior to commencing this process, it is crucial to incorporate the certificate into the computer’s keychain. Before utilizing it in Outlook, ensure that your computer is initially set up with your signing certificate.

• Access Outlook and go to the File menu.
• Then, choose Options & tap on the Trust Center. Within the Trust Center option, you now need to click on Trust Center Settings.
• Under the left pane window, choose Email Security.
• Within Encrypted email, select Settings.
• Under the Certificates and Algorithms tab, tap on Choose & click on the S/MIME certificate. Tap on OK.
For Office Insider with Microsoft 365 Subscription;
• Within your email message, select Options and choose Encrypt.
• From the drop-down menu, tap on the Encrypt with S/MIME option.
• You’ll get an Encrypt with S/MIME option if you have successfully installed an S/MIME certificate on your PC.
For Outlook 2016 & Outlook 2019;

In your email message, click on “Options” and then select “Permissions.”

• Lastly, compose your mail & hit Send.

To encrypt all outgoing messages in the future, simply follow the steps below:

• Launch Outlook & navigate to the File menu.
• Next, choose Options & click on the Trust Center. Under the Trust Center option, you now have to tap on Trust Center Settings.
• From the left pane window, choose Email Security.
• Within Encrypted email, choose the Encrypt contents & attachments for the outgoing messages check box.
• You can also modify certain additional settings, like using a specific certificate, tap on Settings for any such modifications.

Note: When all of your emails are encrypted, your recipients will require your digital ID to decrypt them.

Method 2: Send Encrypted Email Via Office 365

In certain cases, if Outlook is not opening in Windows 10 or other operating system versions, Outlook Online provides a means for users to send secure emails through Office 365. The functionality is akin to that of Outlook, with only a minor discrepancy in the menu interface.

• Firstly, Compose a new mail in Outlook Online.
• Choose Encrypt from the toolbar.
• Tap on Change Permissions if you wish to prevent forwarding of your email.
• Tap on Send when you are done.

In case you cannot find the encrypt button on the toolbar, then you need to tap on the 3 dots above.

• Choose the gear icon & select All Outlook Settings.
• Choose Mail & Tap on Customize Actions.
• Checkmark the box Encrypt.

Important Note: Outlook provides users with the ability to encrypt email messages and restrict them from being forwarded. This ensures that the intended recipient is the one who reads the email. To begin, please open Outlook emails in a web browser. When composing a new message in Outlook, you will encounter the following encryption options:

• Encrypt
• Do Not Forward
• Confidential
• Contoso
• Highly Confidential

Selecting the option Do Not Forward will encrypt the message and prevent it from being forwarded, printed, or copied. Using this method, it is possible to ensure the content of the email is viewed only by the intended recipient.

Once the email has been sent, you can also remove the encryption afterwards. At this point, the recipient will be able to read the message without verification.

• Navigate to Sent items in your Outlook.
• Access the encrypted mail you had sent.
• Choose File & select the option Unrestricted Access within Encrypt.

Now that we’ve learned the secure way to send emails in Outlook, there may be times when you encounter difficulties opening encrypted and password-protected files. These challenges could include corruption problems, deleted attachments, and more. To support you in overcoming these issues, we’ve developed an exceptional tool specifically designed to repair encrypted and password-protected files, as well as recover deleted or lost email attachments. It is the Kernel for Outlook PST Repair tool.

This tool is designed to scan your designated system drive for PST files, and it can repair both ANSI and UNICODE formats, regardless of the file size. It has the capability to save the recovered formats in various options including DBX, MBOX, EML, MSG, TXT, HTML, RTF, and MHTML formats. Additionally, you have the option to export PST files to Microsoft 365, email servers, web mails, and more. The tool also comes with smart filtering options and a feature to retain meta properties. It is compatible with Office 365 Outlook versions 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019.

Last Words

Data breaches are becoming increasingly common, leaving numerous companies ill-equipped to fend them off and limit their impact, leaving their reputation and finances vulnerable. Therefore, it is imperative to prioritize the security of your emails and system. Our article provides a straightforward guide on how to send encrypted emails in Outlook using S/MIME Encryption and Microsoft 365 Encryption. Additionally, should you encounter challenges with encrypted or password-protected files, it is recommended to have Kernel for Outlook PST Repair Tool installed in your system to address all your PST file and secure email Outlook issues effectively.