What are secure messages?
In Outlook Express, a message can be secured in two ways:
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It can be encrypted, which means that the words are scrambled and only the message recipient can unscramble them.
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It can be digitally signed, which signifies that the message actually came from the sender (not an imposter), and was not tampered with. Like any other form of identification, such as a driver's license, a digital signature verifies your identity.
To encrypt a message both you and the message recipient must have a digital ID. Digital IDs are issued by an independent certifying authority. You and your contacts can exchange digital IDs (.pub) files as e-mail attachments; or, you can look through a certifying authority's Web site to find each other's certificates. You add the digital ID to the contact's properties in the Address Book before you send secured messages.
Sending secure messages is a three-part process:
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Obtain a digital ID for yourself; and, if you want to send encrypted messages, for the message recipient.
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Add the digital ID to the contact's properties in your address book (for encrypting messages), and attach your digital ID to your mail account.
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Create and send a secure message.
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