Encrypting messages is a step above digital signatures in terms of security. Here’s what happens when you encrypt a message:

-       You encrypt the message with your private key (which is stored in your digital signature).

-       Outlook converts the message from readable text to code.

-       The recipient decrypts the message with their public key (which is stored in your contacts folder on their computer).

There are a few things you need to do to make this process work:

-       Obtain a digital signature that supports encryption.

-       Send your certificate file (which contains the public key to unlock the encrypted message) to the person that you want to send an encrypted file to. The easiest way to do this is is to have them add you to their contacts folder and then send them a digitally signed message.

-       The recipient must also have a digital signature that supports encryption.

-       The recipient must send you their certificate file. They can do this by sending you a digitally signed message; just make sure they’re in your contacts folder before the message arrives.

 

You can encrypt all messages using the options in the security tab that we looked at before. Or, you can just encrypt selected messages using the Options button in a new mail message (the same set of options that we used to add a digital signature to a particular message).

 

If you receive an encrypted message, it will also have its own special icon in the message list:

 

 

You’ll also notice that the message can’t be viewed in the preview pane; you must open it. When you do open it, its encrypted status will be identified by two small icons. Otherwise, it will look the same as any other message. Here’s an example: