How to send Encrypted Emails
Introduction
Email encryption is a technology built directly into Brandon’s Office 365 environment that allows staff to communicate safely and securely through emails with organisations and people that would not normally allow the receipt of a normal email.
Encrypted emails are different, in that their content is saved and protected within the Office 365 servers and only the designated person that this was sent to is able to open and access the information. The provides a high level of security and confidentiality by removing the risk of in-transit attacks and forwarding of sensitive information.
Sending an email
The following instruction will show how you can send an encrypted email from the Brandon Office 365 environment.
- 1) When creating a new email, ensure that the phrase Encrypt is somewhere in the Subject line.
Receiving an email
The following instructions will show how you can access a received encrypted email, and to provide insight into what a third party would be receiving and how they would access this when received.
Internal
- As the recipient is known on the Brandon Trust systems, this will appear like any other email, however the recipient will not be able print, forward, copy the content, or cc anyone else into any replies
External
A recipient outside of Brandon Trust will receive a message with the following instructions.
1) After receiving an encrypted email, the recipient will need to save and open the attachment
After the recipient has saved and opened the attachment they will be presented with options to either:
- Sign in; or
- Use a one-time passcode
It is easier for the recipient to use the :”One-time passcode” unless the are sure they have a Microsoft Account already.
2) After opening the attachment, the recipient will need to Sign in or Use a One-time passcode
Once the recipient clicks the “Use a one-time passcode” link they will be taken to a screen like this.
If they check their email they should find a message containing the code they need to “decrypt” the message. If they do not receive this after a minute or two they should check their spam/junk mail folder
3) Copy the passcode. Please note that this email can sometimes be caught by the spam filter. Ensure that you check both your Junk email folder and Clutter where available.
5) Select Continue.
4) Enter the Passcode into the passcode field. Please be aware that the code automatically expires after 15 minutes.
6) The recipient will now be able to read the mail, however they will not be able print, forward, copy the content, or cc anyone else into any replies
Frequently Asked Questions
How are these emails more secure?
Encrypted emails ensure that the content is protected from being read by people other than the intended audience. This is done by requiring a unique code that only the intended recipient can access to unlock the content, removing the risk of emails being intercepted or emails being incorrectly forwarded. For this system, even if the encrypted email had fallen into the wrong hands – they would still not be able to access its content without full access to the recipient’s email account.
Who can I send these emails to?
Anyone that has an email address. This service works both internally to Brandon and externally to third parties.
Who can send these emails?
Any member of staff, provided they have a Brandon email account.
How many can I send?
As many as you wish – this service is included as part of your Brandon email service.
I am not receiving the Access Code?
Please check your Junk folder and if applicable your Clutter folder within your mailbox. You can then mark these emails as safe and they will begin arriving into your Inbox as normal.