The Office of Information Technology would like to introduce RAM PROOF, a secure email service available for WSSU Faculty and Staff to communicate with external parties (not having @wssu.edu email). RAM PROOF secure email service is intended to address the need for communicating confidential data in a safe and secure manner. RAM PROOF utilizes encryption to conceal the content of a message, adding a valuable layer of security to ensure that your message can only be read by the intended recipient.
You should use RAM PROOF secure email whenever you send a message that contains sensitive information to a non-WSSU email recipient. For guidance on the types of email content that should be encrypted, please review the IT and Security - Data Classification Standard.
How do I send a secure email with RAM PROOF?
To send an encrypted email using the RAM PROOF secure email system, you simply need to add "[SECURE]" (without quotes) as the prefix to the subject line of the email. Be sure to include the brackets but do not include the quotation marks – see example below.
Note: The subject line of the email is not encrypted; therefore, you should not include sensitive information in subject line of the email.
What happens when an external recipient receives my RAM PROOF secure email?
When a recipient receives a RAM PROOF secure message, it will look similar to this in their email inbox:
The recipient will be given 7 days to read the message. The message will contain an encrypted attachment or URL, which when opened, will take you to the secure email server. The first time the recipient receives a secure message, they will be asked to create a passphrase that will be used to view or reply to their secure messages. After logging in with their self-assigned passphrase, the recipient can then view the email and use the "Reply" button to reply to the message.
How do I get setup to use RAM PROOF secure email?
All faculty and staff with a @wssu.edu email account can use the secure email system. There is no preregistration or setup required. Faculty and staff who use the RAM PROOF secure email system should consider sending a pre-notification email or letter to potential recipients before sending them their first secure email -- pre-notification document available for download. This will alert them that you will be using secure email to communicate with them and explain how they can correspond with you in a secure manner. Please note, if you send the pre-notification message via email, you should send it as a normal, non-secure email.
Top 3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. By using secure email, will both my email and attachments be encrypted?
Yes, RAM PROOF encrypts the entire communication including attachments.
2. How long until the encrypted message expires?
Encrypted emails will be available to the recipient for 7 days
3. How long until a RAM PROOF password expires?
The recipient’s RAM PROOF account password will expire every 90 days
Click here to see a full list of RAM PROOF FAQs