How to Encrypt Email in Outlook & Office 365
Prepared by: | Paresh Parmar |
Version: | 1.0 |
Effective Date: | February 21, 2025 |
- Email communication is a goldmine for cybercriminals, emphasising the need for Outlook and Microsoft 365 email encryption.
- Office 365 Message Encryption (OME) is included only in specific MS 365 plans like Business Premium, E3, and E5.
- Whether on the Outlook desktop client or web version, encrypting Outlook email is seamless.
Email communication is integral to a business’ daily work, and it's hard to imagine a day without sending or receiving emails. However, digital communication has also increased the threat of data breaches. In fact, show that business emails are the second most difficult breach to identify and contain, taking an average of 308 days.
Outlook and Office 365 are two of the most popular email platforms in use today, and both offer robust email encryption features. This guide will lead you through the simple yet essential process of how to encrypt email in Outlook and Office 365.
Why Email Encryption is Crucial in Outlook and Office 365?
Businesses deal with highly sensitive data daily, whether it's financial data, client information, or internal communications. This data exchange often happens via email, making it a prime target for cybercriminals. An individual breach can lead to financial losses and damage a company's reputation and client relationships.
Outlook and Office 365 email encryption is a safeguard, ensuring that confidential information is accessible only to the intended recipient. It provides additional security beyond password protection, making it incredibly difficult for unauthorized users to access the email content. This is especially important in the era of remote work, where secure communication channels are vital for business continuity.
Methods to Encrypt Emails in Outlook
There are multiple ways to encrypt Outlook email, each designed to meet different security needs. Let’s explore these in detail so you can choose the right one.
- Using the Outlook Desktop Client
- Using the Outlook Web Client
- Encryption
Options Within Outlook
Using the Outlook Desktop Client
Encrypting emails using the Outlook desktop client is a straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to encrypt email in Outlook.
- Compose a New Email: Open Outlook and click on "New Email" to compose a new message.
- Go to Options: In the message window, navigate to the "Options" tab.
- Click on Encrypt: Under the "Lock" icon, you'll find the "Encrypt" button. Click on it.
Using the Outlook Web Client
When using the Outlook web version, you can encrypt Outlook email using the below steps:
- Log In: Open your browser and log in to your Outlook account.
- Compose a New Email: Click on the "New Message" button.
- Click on the Lock Icon: You'll see a lock icon at the top of the message window. Click on it.
- Select
Encryption Option: A panel will appear on the right side, offering
encryption options like "Encrypt" and "Prevent
Forwarding."
- Send the Email: After selecting the encryption type, compose your email and click "Send."
Encryption Options Within Outlook
Outlook offers various encryption options to cater to different needs:
- Encrypt Only: This option encrypts the email but allows the recipient to forward it.
- Do Not Forward: This option encrypts the email and prevents the recipient from forwarding, copying, or printing it.
These options are part of the broader Microsoft Outlook encrypt email features.
Using the Outlook client for Mac
- Compose a New Email
- Access the message toolbar and select the “Encryption” option.
- If the “Encryption” option is not readily available, navigate to the three dots to add items to your toolbar
- Drag the “Encryption” button to your toolbar and then click “Done” to complete the process.
What encryption options are available?
As an Outlook.com user with a Microsoft 365 Family or Personal subscription, you'll notice a few things:
- Do Not Forward: Your message stays encrypted within Microsoft 365 and can’t be copied or forwarded. Microsoft Office attachments like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files stay encrypted even after they’re downloaded. But, other attachments like PDFs or images can be downloaded without encryption.
- Encrypt: Your message stays encrypted and doesn’t leave Microsoft 365. Recipients with Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 accounts can download attachments without encryption from Outlook.com, the Outlook mobile app, or the Mail app in Windows 10. If you're utilizing a different email client or other email accounts, you can use a provisional passcode to download attachments from the Microsoft 365 Message Encryption portal.
- No permission set: Default setting. Uses Outlook.com's opportunistic Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt the connection with a recipient’s e-mail provider.
Are attachments also encrypted?
All attachments are encrypted. Recipients can view attachments in the browser if they access the email via the Office Message Encryption portal.
Attachments act differently after they’re downloaded, depending on the encryption option:
- If you choose the Encrypt option, recipients with Outlook.com & Microsoft 365 accounts can download attachments without encryption. This is true for Outlook.com, the Outlook mobile app, new Outlook, or the Mail app in Windows 10. Other email accounts can use a provisional passcode to download attachments from the Microsoft 365 Message Encryption portal.
- If you choose the Do Not Forward option, there are two possibilities:some text
- Microsoft
Office attachments like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files stay encrypted
after download. This means the recipient can’t send the attachment to
others without permission. They won’t be able to open it.
But, if the recipient has an Outlook.com account, they can open encrypted Office attachments on Windows apps. If they have a Microsoft 365 account, they can open the file on any platform.
containing confidential information are always encrypted, reducing the risk of data breaches.
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