How to setup MS Outlook 2010 to utilize signing and encryption?

recently I have switched to new computer on which I have installed Outlook 2010. The new computer is powered by Windows 7. So far I am not connected the same with Exchange server. Well I am also using Thunderbird in order to get secure email and I am not aware of all the ins as well as out of Outlook 2010. Whenever I supposed to get digitally signed email on Thunderbird then I will be able to save or export certificate from the mail which I have received. There is program which is called as IIRC is supposed to associate with the respective sender of the email. I was able to view public certificates without having any issue. where as in Outlook 2010 I was able to import own certificates by using Trust Center. But I was not able to get public certificates. According to me it wont be enough to read singed email to associate with public certificate of the sender email address. I was not able to get any method to archive the digital certificates which were received from email messages. I have already done with the same with Thunderbird. Let me know if you are having any idea on this particular matter. I am waiting for the prompt replies of yours. thanks a lot in advance.

I think Thunderbird should be nice email client but I don’t wanted to make use of OpenOffice. There are lots of frustrating incompatibilities associated with the same. however Outlook is having better integration options with other programs as compared to Thunderbird. But as Thunderbird was working fine in older machine then you should go for Thunderbird in new system as well.

As you have mentioned that you are wanted to use Outlook. Hence you should give a try to ePostal Services. I let you know that its not free service. You will require to pay to make use of this particular service. However you will be able to pre pay return postage in case you are going to get a reply through encrypted email and to avoid raise in total cost. It can be integrated with Outlook. Only difference is its having another send button. It can also having support for email tracking and differentiation. You will be able to select anything which you wanted to do at the time of sending message. I am using this particular tool to share web server login credentials with all the clients.

I don’t think so it would be difficult thing to do to access public certificate of email which has been received by Outlook 2010. It does not seems to be sensible at all. you will have an icon which would show that message has been signed. Users need to click on that particular icon and go through various menu which would copy your certificate. You will not be able to saver or export though. It would be helpful to save this particular certificate on disk. After that you have to import the same properties of contacts which are saved on address book. Another thing which I have noticed that one will not be able to send an encrypted email from Outlook 2010 to Thunderbird. Both Mozilla and Microsoft are blaming for this particular thing.

Well I am below mentioned steps which should use it to get the requirement of yours.

• Before you begin with actual steps you have to import certificates into Windows Certificate center.
• Now you have to open Outlook 2010 on your computer if it already closed on your computer.
• Click on File menu and go for Options and you have to select Trust Center and simply click on Trust Center Settings.
• After that click on Email Security Section.
• Now you should select below mentioned options.
• Add Digital Signature to Outgoing Messages : this particular option will let you signing certificates on all the messages which are sent outside.
  
• Send clear text signed messages when sending signed messages: it means that recipients will be able to read the message which you have signed. It seems to be really important when most of the users are Web-based or mobile mail client.
  
  
• As far as encryption is concerned I recommend that you should not select Encrypt contents and attachments for outgoing messages.. you should do encryption manually to the individual messages rather than setting it for all the messages.
• Make sure that you are having recipient's public key when you would send encrypted message if you don’t have the same then you will not be able to send encrypted messages.
  
• Now you have to click on Settings and you will be able to get signing and public encryption below of certificates and Algorithms. Outlook would provide public signing certificate as it would send signing certificate hence user will be able to send encrypted messages.
  
  
• After that click on Choose which is available at the right side of Signing Certificate and simply select the desire certificate from desire list available and click on Ok.
  
• Now you have to select SHA1 Hash Algorithm.
  
• Again you to click on Choose button from the right side of Encryption Certificate. You should select Certificates from the list and simply click on Ok button.
  
• After that you should select Encryption Algorithm 3DES or AES 256-BIT.
• Once you have selected any of the above mentioned I recommend that you should click on Ok button.
• After completing with above mentioned message you should simply sent a test email and Delivered messages would show signing icon and encryption icon on the basis of option which you have selected.
  
  
• If your system is running with Windows 7 or Windows Vista the recipient will not be able to read encrypted messages if you are using older email client. but you can fix the same by using below mentioned steps.
  
• You have to click on Tools and go for Trust Center and search for E-mail Security and click on the same.
• From Encrypted e-mail header you will need to click on Setting.
• Now look for Encryption Algorithm available into Certificates and Algorithms from Encryption Algorithm drop-down. Here you have select 3DES.
  
  
• Once you have done the same simply click on OK button to close all the opened windows.

If you are wanted to encrypt a single message then you should perform below mentioned steps.

• From the message composing windows you have to go for Option tab and click on More Options and click on Message Options Dialog Box Launcher.
• Finally click on Security Settings and you have to check Encrypt message contents and attachments checkbox.
  
• Finally compose the message of yours and click on Send button.
  
• In case you wanted to encrypt all outgoing messages then you should give a try following steps.
• Click on File and go for Options.
  
• Now click on Trust Center and click on Trust Center Settings.

• After that you have to click on Email Security tab and look for Encrypted Email.
• Finally check Encrypt contents and attachments for outgoing messages check box.
  
• If you wanted to make some additional settings than you should click on Settings.

Let me know whether above mentioned steps worked for you or not.

I think below mentioned tips could be useful to get the requirement of yours.

1. You have to right click on sender and click on Add to Outlook Contacts from right click Context menu.
2. if you are having that particular contact into the contact folder then it would simply prompt you to update when you have clicked on Save & Close.
3. The certificate would automatically get updated once you have done the above mentioned thing.

I recommend below mentioned below mentioned steps registry steps which will be helpful to get the requirement of yours.

Simply launch registry editor by enter regedit on start search box menu and press enter.

Now you have to browse for below mentioned registry key

Code:

---

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Outlook\security

---

In case \Security does not exit then you should create the same.

You should add below mentioned information into key

Code:

---

Value type:  DWORD
Value name: UseIssuerSerialNumber
Value data:  1

---

Finally close the registry editor and see whether it is working or not.

above mentioned solutions are just a work around in fact problem is not solve yet. To use above solution you should have an access to the registry editor and it is not given in current scenario of corporate environment. Also I have noticed that there are bugs into Thunderbird. It was not reading affected messages. After bug fix affected messages on the basis of security certificate. Here Thunderbird developers and Microsoft developer are blaming on each other for the issue caused. But none of them are tying to resolve the issue.