Emails are integral to daily business communications. However, the ease of email comes with the possibility of confidential data being read by unauthorized third parties. This is where encryption for email can help, providing cloud security managed services to transmit and read private messages.
Microsoft Office 365 is a well-known cloud-based platform that is utilized by many businesses across the globe. It provides a range of tools and features, including encryption of emails to help you protect your personal information from unauthorized access.
In this article, we discuss how you can set up email encryption in Office 365 and how to use encryption for an email to provide the highest level of security.
Email encryption protects email content and sensitive information from unauthorized access and is an essential part of effective cyber security management. This is particularly important for companies with sensitive data, such as personal or financial information. Unencrypted, this data is vulnerable to cyber attacks, identity theft, and other breaches. Email encryption also helps organizations meet data protection regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and others.
Here is the 3-step process of how email encryption works:
Two major types of encryption in email are available: Transport Level encryption and End-to-end encryption.
Transport Level encryption protects email messages between the sender and receiver during their travel, not before or after the transit. End-to-end encryption, however, is exactly what it sounds like emails are encrypted while in transit, from beginning to end. In other words, every email sent out is encrypted once the send button is clicked and is unencrypted only after the recipient receives the email.
Some of the tools and protocols that use these two types of encryption include:
Following are the pros and cons of email encryption:
Pros |
Cons |
Safeguards sensitive information |
Demands regular maintenance and oversight |
Efficient and easy to use |
Requires recipients to have decryption tools |
Helps with authentication and spam protection |
|
Cost-efficient |
|
Mitigates risk of data breaches |
Microsoft Office 365 offers multiple encryption options to ensure that it meets the email security needs of different businesses.
Below are the three ways you can encrypt email in Microsoft Office 365:
As part of Microsoft's cyber security software solution, Microsoft Purview Message Encryption offers users the power to encrypt messages and protect sensitive information during transit. It permits sending encrypted emails to internal and external recipients with complete control over the decryption process, including setting permissions and expiration dates. This encryption solution is included in Office 365 and can be combined with other email encryption tools like S/MIME.
It's important to note that Microsoft Purview is included in E5 but is an add-on service for customers without an E5 plan. However, a 90-day free trial can be taken advantage of so you can see how Microsoft Purview helps you manage your organization's data security to ensure compliance.
Information Rights Management (IRM) is a Microsoft security solution for data protection that allows users to control how their sensitive information is managed and shared. Through IRM, users can apply restrictions to documents, emails, and other files to prevent unauthorized access, forwarding, printing, or copying.
Additionally, users can revoke access to shared data and audit and track its usage patterns. This data security solution is available across Office 365, SharePoint, and Azure Information Protection solutions.
As an industry-standard email encryption protocol, S/MIME offers complete message protection. It utilizes digital certificates to authenticate sender and recipient identities, then encrypts the message content to prevent unauthorized access.
S/MIME is also widely supported by email clients such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, and Gmail and is often employed in enterprise settings to protect sensitive information. By using S/MIME, users can ensure their email communications remain secure and confidential while guarding personal and business data against potential threats like hacking attacks, data breaches, and unauthorized access.
Email encryption is an effective way to protect the privacy and security of business emails. Below are some ways to set up email encryption in Office 365:
To encrypt a single message:
Policies and encryption rules are crucial to protecting the privacy and security of sensitive information. They set guidelines and limits on how data can be protected, who should access it, and when. Creating and managing policies and rules for encryption requires careful preparation and consideration of the goals and requirements of your business.
To create and manage rules and policies for encryption, you should follow these steps:
Office 365 email encryption setup effectively protects confidential information in email messages. However, it is essential to use encryption properly to protect your data.
Here are some of the best methods to use Office 365 email encryption:
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When you use Office Message Encryption (OME), sending encrypted emails to other recipients is easy because it allows sending encrypted communications to anyone who is not part of your company, regardless of the email provider.
However, to optimize the email encryption in Office 365, here are some steps that you need to follow:
Monitoring and troubleshooting are important aspects of managing email encryption in Office 365. By monitoring email usage and encryption settings, you can ensure that sensitive data is being properly protected and that encryption policies are being followed. Troubleshooting issues with email encryption can also help prevent data leaks and ensure that emails are being delivered and received as intended.
Below are some email encryption tools offered by Office 365 and how to use them:
The Message Encryption Dashboard offers a comprehensive overview of the use of encryption in emails within your company. Authorized IT administrators can see statistics like the number of encrypted messages encrypted, the number of people who have encrypted messages, and the number of messages that were not encrypted, even though they ought to be.
To access the Message Encryption Dashboard:
The Message Trace feature allows you to follow specific messages and check whether they are encrypted. It will also let you know whether the message was successfully delivered or if it encountered any problems during delivery.
To utilize Message Trace:
DLP Policy Reports let you know the extent to which your organization's DLP policies are being implemented. You can access reports on the policy's matches, policy overrides, and policy tips.
To access DLP Policy Reports:
Audit Logs offer a comprehensive analysis of the activities within the Office 365 environment, including the encryption of emails. It is possible to see whom encrypted messages were sent, who got them, and when they were delivered.
To view Audit Logs:
By monitoring these tools regularly, it is possible to ensure that the email encryption guidelines are followed and that sensitive information is properly secured.
Email encryption within Office 365 could occasionally create issues that affect the security and delivery of encrypted emails. Here are some of these issues, along with troubleshooting techniques to help solve these issues:
If you can identify and address the common issues associated with email encryption, you can take the appropriate steps to ensure that the encryption is functioning properly and securely.
There are a variety of email encryption solutions on the market. Common options are listed in the table below:
Email Encryption Solution |
Key Features |
Integration |
Cost |
Office 365 Email Encryption |
Built-in encryption solution integrates with Office 365 infrastructure |
Seamlessly integrates with Office 365 services |
May require additional licensing fees |
Virtru |
Granular control over encryption settings supports various email clients |
Integrates with various email clients |
Requires separate subscription for advanced features |
ProtonMail |
End-to-end encryption, free version available, open-source software |
Limited integration with other email clients |
Free for basic features, paid plans for advanced features |
Zix |
Customizable encryption settings offer various encryption methods, support various email clients |
Integrates with various email clients |
Requires separate subscription for advanced features |
Tutanota |
End-to-end encryption, open-source software |
Integrates with various email clients |
Free for basic features, paid plans for advanced features |
Mimecast |
Customizable encryption settings offer data loss prevention (DLP) and advanced threat protection |
Integrates with various email clients |
Requires separate subscription for advanced features |
The pros and cons of using third-party email encryption solutions are as follows:
Pros |
Cons |
Increased customization options |
May require additional licensing fees |
Can integrate with various email clients |
May not integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure |
May offer additional features not available in built-in solutions |
Requires separate subscription |
Can be more secure than built-in solutions |
May require additional training and support |
Implementing encryption of emails in Office 365 offers numerous benefits for businesses, such as Improved security and protection of personal data, compliance with data security regulations, and enhanced confidence and trust with customers and their partners.
Suppose you are thinking of adopting email encryption in your business. In that case, the initial step is to review the current infrastructure for email and figure out which encryption software is most suitable for your requirements. Office 365 offers a built-in encryption tool for email that can be adequate for various organizations. However, third-party options may be needed for those with specific needs.
Amaxra can assist you in assessing your email system, identifying the best encryption solution that meets your requirements, and helping in the installation and training process. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
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