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Encrypting Messages in Outlook

All students, faculty, and staff should have the ability to send encrypted emails. This page details how to encrypt your message and how to view an encrypted message in Outlook.

Background

Microsoft offers a few different levels of encryption. This is an outline of what the different levels do (all levels are securely encrypted):

  • Encrypt-Only is the default, it means the message is encrypted in transit and the recipient will have to authenticate with their email to view the message, or use a one-time code sent to their email to authenticate.
  • Do Not Forward disables the forward option and disables printing. Of course, this doesn’t disable screenshots or the user’s ability to take a picture with their smartphone.
  • Bryn Athyn College – Confidential means the recipient won’t be able to open the message in a non-Bryn Athyn College/GC Outlook client. This is in case someone is having their work email forwarded to a personal email.
  • Bryn Athyn College – Confidential View Only is the same as above, only the content cannot be modified or replied to.

If you wish to send an encrypted message, we recommend setting up the encryption before writing your message. That way, if you accidentally send the message before you are done typing it, it will still be encrypted.

Additionally, you can send this link from Microsoft that explains how end users can open a protected message: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/how-do-i-open-a-protected-message-1157a286-8ecc-4b1e-ac43-2a608fbf3098

Instructions

Outlook Desktop App

  1. Create a new email. In that email select the Options tab at the top.
  2. Select Encrypt.
  3. Optionally, choose your encryption level from the drop-down menu.
  4. Write and send your message!

Outlook Web App

  1. Select the Options tab at the top of the page.
  2. Select Encrypt and then choose your encryption level.
  3. Write and send your message!

Viewing Encrypted Emails

For anyone with a Bryn Athyn College email, viewing an encrypted email will be the same as opening any other email. If you’re sending an encrypted email to someone outside of Bryn Athyn College, like to a Gmail address, the recipient must go through the Microsoft Purview portal to read it.

  • When they receive the email, it will look like this:
  • Once the recipient clicks on Read the message, they will be taken to a login page.
  • Here they can either log in with their account, or use the OTP option to sign in.

They will then be able to view the contents of the message.

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