How to use your Digital ID and encrypt emails using Microsoft Outlook 2003 ?

To install your Personal ID certificate and sign your emails with Microsoft Outlook 2003, please follow these instructions:

Install your Certificate

1. Launch Microsoft Outlook.

2. Go to Tools > Options and choose the tab Security.

3. To define your security settings and to specify which certificate you wish to use you need to define your default security settings. Click Settings... button.

4. You can create various security settings. The Digital Signature settings allow you to choose the certificate you wish to use for signing your emails. Click Choose... button and select your Personal ID certificate.

5. Click OK.

6. Select boxes Encrypt contents and attachments for outgoing messages and Add digital signature to outgoing messages if you want to.

Sign and Encrypt your email messages

1. Click on New message button in your Microsoft Outlook toolbar.

2. You will see two new buttons on the right: Signing Icon and Encrypting Icon. Click to sign or encrypt your email!

If you don't have these icons, follow the instructions below:

3. Go to Tools > Customize.

4. Select the Commands tab.

5. In the Categories list, select Standard and scroll down to Digitally Sign Message and Encrypt Message Contents....

6. To get the buttons on your toolbar, add them one by one by selecting it and drag it to the Toolbar holding down the mouse.

7. Click Close.

Encrypting your emails

To encrypt your emails, you need to have a copy of the digital certificate of the intended recipient. When you receive a signed message, you can save the certificate of the sender in your Contacts List. You therefore need to create an entry in your Contacts List for each person. You must also import his digital certificate into the Contacts List.

Save a Digital certificate from a signed message

1. Open the signed message.

2. Right-click on the senders name (or email address) beside "From:" and click Add to Outlook Contacts....

3. The Contact and his Digital certificate will be added to your Contacts List.

Import a Digital Certificate

1. Create a new address or open an existing one in your Contacts List.

2. Go to Certificates.

3. Choose Import and select the digital certificate file and click Open.