Email Encryption for Commonwealth Employees
What is Email Encryption?
Email encryption transforms messages during the exchange process so that only recipients registered with the commonwealth’s secure email system can read them. Message recipients will be prompted to register when they receive their first encrypted email.
Why Do We Need to Encrypt Email?
• protects sensitive information
• prevents the risk of citizen data exposure, regulatory fines, lawsuits, and loss of proprietary commonwealth information
• ensures confidential information REMAINS confidential
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
• determine which email messages should be encrypted
• send encrypted email messages
• report technical issues related to email encryption
True or False
You should encrypt every email you send.
Answer: False
You SHOULD NOT encrypt every email message you send.
Don’t send encrypted email messages to internal commonwealth recipients with “@state.pa.us” addresses.
You should encrypt an email only if it is being sent to an external recipient and contains sensitive or confidential information in the message or attachments.
The commonwealth has the right to monitor and log all email communication, including encrypted messages, sent or received on
commonwealth computers.
Sensitive and Confidential Information
Examples of sensitive and confidential information:
· Social Security numbers
· Credit card information
· Personal health care history
· Financial data
· Human Resources information
· Legal documents
If you have additional questions about what information should be considered sensitive or confidential, ask your supervisor.
Sending Encrypted Email Messages
You will be able to start sending encrypted email messages on November 30.
Email messages can be encrypted by using one of the following options:
Clicking the Send Secure Button
All commonwealth users will have a Send Secure button in the mail message window in Microsoft Outlook. For Outlook 2007, you must select the Add-Ins tab to access the button.
Typing Subject Line Filters
You will have to use this option when sending messages from Outlook Web Access or a commonwealth-provided Blackberry device.
1. Manually type ENCRYPT or [SEND SECURE] in all capital letters as the first word in the subject line.
2. Click the Send button.
Selecting Confidential” as the Sensitivity Setting
1. In the mail message window, click Options.
2. In the Message Options dialog box, under Message Settings, select Confidential from the Sensitivity drop down list.
3. Click Close.
Remember, it is your responsibility to protect commonwealth information. Encrypt sensitive or confidential email messages and attachments sent to external recipients.
Technical Support
Contact your agency IT staff if you:
• have questions about email encryption
• experience technical problems
• accidentally send an encrypted email to the wrong address
Thank you for completing the Email Encryption for Commonwealth Employees course.
You are now able to:
• determine which email messages should be encrypted
• send encrypted email messages
• report technical issues related to email encryption
This version of the course is intended for individuals who require an accommodation for a disability. Once you have fully reviewed the information in this training, contact your Human Resources Office to request credit for completing this course.
You will not receive credit for completing this course until you do so.