Skagit Valley College Community,
Email encryption ensures that the content of an email is only read by the intended audience. Similar to the information in a letter that is put in an envelope, where only you can read it, instead of writing it on a postcard where your mail carrier can read it.
What: Office365 Microsoft has given us the ability to encrypt email so that important information such as Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and credit card numbers or other banking info can be safely transmitted via your Outlook email.
Who: All users that handle Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
When: Available now!!! (See instructions below). We strongly recommend you begin using it from this point forward in order protect PII.
Why: Email was not designed to be secure. When email was first created everything was sent “in the clear” (e.g the post card example); if emails are sent in “in the clear” (not encrypted) people have access to any information in that email. If the email is encrypted, only those with the decryption key (e.g. envelope example) can access it. This process is called end-to-end encryption.
In the examples below, I’ve included both a light theme, as well as a dark theme (as your color, preferences, view may vary), the function is the same, the only difference is the color.
There are instructions below.
To Send an Encrypted email:
Outlook:
(your actual version of Outlook may be slightly different)
Open a blank new email message,
It could look either way depending on your theme
or reply to an old email
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In that new email... please go to Options, in the menu...
You can find the Encrypt button:
And then you can choose the level of protection that you want:
Here, select Encrypt.
this will ensure you can send your email. and any PII or other information, (e.g. Social Security Numbers, or Credit card), safely and securely.