Using Security Features in Outlook

How to Manage Security Settings

The Options dialog box (Tools menu) in Outlook allows you to view and change security settings, or to create a new security setting.

View security settings

If you enroll in Microsoft Exchange Server security, Outlook creates security settings that you can view and change.

To view Outlook security settings

1. On the Tools menu, click Options and then click the Security tab.
2. In the Default Security Setting box, select the setting you want.
3. Click Change Settings to view a particular setting.

Change security settings

If you enroll in Microsoft Exchange Server security, you can view and change security settings in Outlook.

To create a new Outlook security setting for a user enrolled in Exchange Server security

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.
2. Click Change Settings.
3. Click New, and enter a name for the security setting.
4. In the Secure Message Format box, select S/MIME as your secure message format

   If you are using only Exchange 4.0 or 5.0 security in your organization, skip this step.

5. In the Signing Certificate area, click Choose.
6. Select a signing certificate and click OK.

   You can change the default algorithms by selecting a different value in the Encryption Algorithm box.

7. In the Encryption Certificate area, click Choose.
8. Select an encryption certificate and click OK.

   You can change the default algorithms by selecting a different value in the Encryption Algorithm box.

Tip   You can use the check boxes in the Change Security Settings dialog box to make a signing and encryption certificate setting the default setting for all secure e-mail messages or for a particular message format (S/MIME or Microsoft Exchange Server security). For an S/MIME security setting, you can send your certificates with a secure e-mail message. Select the Send clear text signed message check box (Options dialog box, Tools menu) to allow both signature verification and backward compatibility with non-S/MIME e-mail clients.

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Create new security settings

If you obtained a certificate using Microsoft Exchange Server Advanced Security, Outlook creates a security setting for the certificates it issues. No additional steps are necessary.

When you have only one certificate installed on your computer, and that certificate was issued by Microsoft Certificate Server or another certificate authority such as VeriSign Inc, Outlook configures a default setting. Otherwise, you must create your own settings.

Before you can create a new security setting, you must have a Digital ID.

To get a Digital ID

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.
2. Click the Get a Digital ID (Certificates) button.

Then you can create a new Outlook security setting.

To create a new Outlook security setting

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.
2. Click Setup Secure E-Mail.
3. In the Security Settings Name box, enter a name for the security setting.
4. In the Secure Message Format box, select S/MIME as your secure message format

   If you are using only Exchange 4.0 or 5.0 security in your organization, skip this step.

5. In the Signing Certificate area, click Choose.
6. Select a signing certificate and click OK.

   You can change the default algorithms by selecting a different value in the Encryption Algorithm box.

7. In the Encryption Certificate area, click Choose.
8. Select an encryption certificate and click OK.

   You can change the default algorithms by selecting a different value in the Encryption Algorithm box.

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Move certificates and keys between computers

If you have more than one computer, you can duplicate your security information in Outlook.

To move certificates and keys between computers

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Security tab.
2. In the Digital IDs section, click Import/Export Digital ID.
3. On the computer that contains your keys and certificates, click Export your Digital ID to a file.
4. Select exporting options, and then click OK.

   You must specify the Digital ID to export (if there is more than one on your computer), the file name to use, and a password. You can also select the Delete Digital ID from system check box if you want to remove the Digital ID from this computer permanently.

5. On the computer to which you want to import the security information, repeat steps 1 through 3, and then click Import existing Digital ID from a file.
6. Specify importing options, and then click OK.

   You must specify the file to import and enter the password that you set when you exported the file. You must specify a Digital ID name for the keys and certificates you are importing.

After importing the security information on your new computer, you can read and send secure messages.

Note   Outlook exports Microsoft Exchange Server security settings to an EPF file. S/MIME certificates and keys from external certificate authorities are exported to a PFX file.