1. Home
2. Blogs

Step-by-Step Guide to Encrypting Emails on Different Platforms

• 
• 
• 
• 0
• 0

Email encryption is an important security measure to protect the privacy of your emails. It’s also a great way to ensure that sending sensitive information, such as financial data or personal documents, is safe and secure. With e-mail encryption, your emails are encoded in a way that makes them unreadable to anyone other than the intended recipient.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to send encrypted email Outlook, Gmail, iOS, and Yahoo. We’ll provide step-by-step procedures for each so you can get started right away.

What is meant by Email Encryption?

E-mail encryption safeguards your emails by masking their content so only authorised recipients can view and understand them. Since other people can monitor and read emails transmitted over unprotected or public connections, email may be a risky medium. Encryption keeps your messages secure in email by rendering the contents unintelligible as they travel from source to destination, preventing anybody from reading them if they snag them.

Why is Email Encryption Important?

E-mail encryption is a powerful way to help businesses and organisations protect their most sensitive information from unauthorised access. By employing e-mail encryption, you can effectively secure email messages carrying sensitive information, such as credit card details or health statistics. Encryption involves the use of PKI (Public Key Infrastructure).

A private key, as well as a public key, are required. The public key is used by those who deliver encrypted emails, while the private key is used by recipients to decode communications into readable versions. Anyone who can utilise a public key in order to encrypt email in this scheme, but encrypted and secured messages may only be decoded by the specific private key.

So, if you intend to secure email messages, you should encrypt every communication you receive and send. When you only use encrypted emails that include sensitive information, like login details or bank account details, hackers may become aware that they contain important information. Encoding all of the messages you send makes it more difficult for cybercriminals trying to decrypt all the messages one at a time individually to discover whether any of them include important information.

It's a concern of regulatory adherence for certain firms to secure email messages. Internet laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, the Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of California, the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), oblige certain data privacy benchmarks, which can contribute to making e-mail encryption pertinent - particularly as the number of emails and e-messages sent worldwide increases year after year.

Also Read: What is Email Spoofing & How to Stop Attackers from Posing as You?

Types of different Email Encryption:

Here are the types of e-mail encryption:

1. PGP (Pretty Good Privacy):

PGP uses digital signatures as well as file encryption algorithms to secure email messages and decode email communications. It was among the earliest free and open-source, public key cryptography systems. It is frequently used to protect internet communication by both common people and companies.

2. S/MIME (Secure Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension):

S/MIME is comparable to PGP in operation, except users must get keys from a particular Certificate Authority (CA). This is embedded into most current email software systems, including Apple as well as Outlook, and users need to activate it before usage.

3. TLS (Transport Layer Security):

TLS can be defined as a system that encrypts as well as securely transmits email data for both outbound and inbound email communications. It aids in the prevention of eavesdropping across email servers, making your information private while moving between email providers. TLS is supported by all current email systems.

How to get Gmail encryption?

Here is how you get Gmail encryption:

1. Sign in to Google Admin Console

2. Go to Menu > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > User settings

3. Select your organisation or domain under ‘Organisations’

4. Enable ‘Enable S/MIME encryption for sending and receiving emails’ in the S/MIME settings

5. If your organisation or domain uses SHA-1 (Secure Hash Algorithm 1), enable ‘Allow SHA-1 globally’. It is not recommended otherwise

6. Save the settings

7. Changes take up to 24 hours to save. Once done, write a new message

8. Select the lock icon on the recipient’s right side

9. Select your preferred ‘S/MIME’ settings under ‘view details’

● Green means the message is S/MIME encrypted and needs a private key to encrypt

● Grey means the message is TLS protected. This option will only work if both parties are TLS-capable

● Red means the message is not secure in email encryption

How to send secure email in Outlook?

Here is how to send secure email in Outlook:

1. Obtain a S/MIME encryption certificate from the administration of your organisation.

2. Install S/MIME control.

3. Click on the gear menu as well as open the S/MIME settings.

4. Choose your level of encryption.

5. In order to encryption any individual message, click on ‘more options’ and select “Encrypt this message (S/MIME)”.

However, you need to make sure the recipient of any encrypted message has S/MIME settings enabled, or they will not be able to decipher your message.

Also Read: Your Guide to Knowing Everything About Cyber Literacy

How to Encrypt Emails on iOS

Here is how to encrypt emails in iOS:

1. Open the advanced settings of your device

2. Enable ‘S/MIME’

3. Enable ‘Encrypt by default’

4. Write a new message

5. Select the lock icon on the recipient’s right side

6. Your message will be encrypted

In case the lock is red in step 5, it means the recipient does not have the S/MIME setting enabled. They need to enable it from their side to receive the message.

Email Providers That Need Third-Party Encryption Tools

Suppose you are looking athow to encrypt emails on Yahoo. Yahoo utilises SSL security (Secure sockets layer) to protect your messages secure in email. It required a third-party service in order to secure email messages with PGP/MIME or S/MIME.

Conclusion

Online data is more vulnerable than most people realise, especially when the use of email is so widespread. Encrypting your emails puts control over your personal information back into your hands and ensures that businesses and hackers can’t easily access it.

So, whether you own a small business with strict privacy guidelines or someone who regularly handles sensitive information through email, there are plenty of reasons for you to consider e-mail encryption. By taking the time to get up to speed on how it works and when you should use it, you’ll know how to protect your information secure in email from prying eyes.

You can also consider getting a cyber insurance policy. Cybersecurity insurance helps you get coverage against malicious online activities. So, if you find yourself dealing with sensitive information online, getting the best cyber insurance in India should be on our priority list.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

 

RELATED ARTICLES

What Are The Exclusions In Cyber Liability Insurance Policy?

Ways To Lower Your Cyber Insurance Policy Premiums

Good Cyber Hygiene Habits To Help Stay Safe Online

What To Do If You’ve Been Scammed Online?

Cyber Threats To Family: Here’s How To Safeguard Everyone

---

• 
• 
• 
•