Encryption ensures that protected or sensitive information is not intercepted during email transmission, thus protecting you and the university from potentially costly and reputation-damaging data breaches.
Send an Encrypted Email
To send an encrypted message, use the word "encrypt" (without quotations) in the email's subject line and send the message as usual.
Recommended Types of Emails to Encrypt
Any university email that contains the following protected or sensitive information must be encrypted:
- Bank Routing Numbers
- Credit card or other financial information
- Personally Identifiable Information (i.e. Social Security Numbers)
- Passwords
- Any information protected by governmental or institutional regulations
View an Encrypted Email
University of Tennessee Email Users
With the new encrypt experience, messages will display on the screen with a banner at the top indicating that they are encrypted. Replies to messages will also be encrypted.
External Email Users (Other schools, organizations, or personal email accounts)
External email users will continue to receive an email with a link to view the email.
- Click the button in the message that says, Read the Message.
- Click Sign in with a one-time passcode.
- Go back to your Inbox, open the new message with the subject "Your one-time passcode to view the message," then copy/paste the passcode into your previously opened browser tab and click Continue.
- Once you pass authentication, the message will display in the browser.
NOTE: For the recipient to reply securely to the message, the recipient must reply from the message on the web. Replying from the original message will send an unencrypted reply.