Encrypting email with Microsoft

Sending email is a convenient method of delivering information, but it is NOT private.   If you need to send information without the prying eyes of the internet, you need to encrypt it.  Encrypting email is fast and easy using the built-in Microsoft rights management system.

Encrypting email is required if you are sending PHI (Protected Health Information), Social Security Numbers, credit card, or other confidential information.  Understanding this and using it appropriately is also required for HIPAA compliance.

If you are having issues or troubles with this process, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.  The contact information is at the bottom of this page.

Encrypting emails

Encryption is a required feature for sending Protected Health Information (PHI), and necessary to maintain HIPAA compliance. The encrypt message permission will encrypt the content and any attachments sent with the email. This encryption capability applies to use cases where messages containing patient, resident, or protected information are sent to external email systems.

1. Emails can be encrypted by including “Secure:” in the subject of the email.
   Please note: A space must follow the closing punctuation to encrypt the message (e.g., Secure: subject of message).
2. When writing a new email, the email can be encrypted by choosing ‘Encrypt’ from the Options menu.

Opening encrypted emails

Recipients will receive the email with a .html attachment. Follow the steps below to open the email:

1. Open the encrypted message received.
2. Click the dropdown next to the message.html attachment.
3. Click Download to open the file.
4. In Outlook Mail, click Open.
5. At the opening Mail Attachment window, click Open again.
6. A webpage will open displaying two options for opening the content of the encrypted message.

1. To open using the Sign in option:
   • Click Sign in.
   • Click Work or school account.
   • Sign into Office365 using your email address and password.
   • The encrypted message should be displayed.
   • From here, you can reply to or forward the message. Reply messages and forwards will be automatically encrypted.
2. To open using the One-time passcode option:
   • Click Use a one-time passcode.
   • You will then receive an email in your recipient mailbox containing a Passcode as shown below:
   • Enter the Passcode provided in the email into the webpage.
   • The encrypted message should be displayed.
   • From here, you can reply to or forward the message. Reply messages and forwards will be automatically encrypted.

Contacting the TM Help Desk

Our normal Help Desk hours are Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM PST

If you need IT assistance, send an email to help@tekmanagementc.com to open a support ticket. The more detail you can provide, the faster we can route and resolve your ticket. We love screenshots!

If you have an urgent issue, you can call the Help Desk at (541)779-4777 we typically follow-up after the call with a ticket via email.

If you need emergency support after normal business hours, you can call the emergency line at (541)779-4777. If it’s a user related issue, emergency support is billable to your site. Otherwise, tickets submitted during non-standard hours will be handled during the next business day