Transition from Proofpoint Secure Email to Cisco Secure Email
In certain cases where the information contained within an email is sensitive and requires an extra layer of protection, users have the option to send secure encrypted emails to external recipients. This ensures that the content remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access during transmission. This article details the changes between our previous provider Proofpoint and our new Cisco platform. The process of sending the secure email hasn’t changed but this article also covers the differences for the external user receiving the secure email.
How to Send Secure Encrypted Emails:
1. Subject Line Tagging: Begin your email subject line with any of the following tags; Secure, Encrypt, [Encrypt], [Secure]. This tag signals to the system that the email contains sensitive information requiring encryption. For instance, if your subject line is "Project Proposal," you would change it to "Secure Project Proposal or [secure] Project Proposal." *Note: using (secure) will no longer work to encrypt the message. Only the methods listed above or below will properly encrypt your message*
Encryption Tags: Any of the following must be placed at the beginning of your subject.
- Encrypt
- encrypt
- Secure
- secure
- [Encrypt]
- [encrypt]
- [Secure]
- [secure]
2. Email Content: Compose your email as usual, ensuring that it contains the sensitive information you wish to encrypt and protect.
3. Attachment Security: If your email includes attachments, such as documents or files, they will be securely encrypted along with the email content.
4. Recipient Verification: Once the secure encrypted email is sent to an external recipient, they will receive a notification indicating that they have received a secure message. Due to the encryption and security measures in place, the email may initially be flagged as potentially dangerous by some email clients. Therefore, recipients are advised to verify that the email was expected and safe to open. An example of a security flag from a Gmail account is depicted below:
5. Accessing the Secure Email: Upon opening the email, the recipient will be prompted to access the secure content. This typically involves opening an HTML document within the email, which serves as a secure gateway to the encrypted content.
6. Account Creation: To review the secure email and its attachments, the recipient will need to create an account within the secure platform. This account creation process ensures that only authorized individuals have access to the sensitive information.
7. Mobile Access: If the recipient is accessing the secure email from a mobile device, they will need to forward the email to mobile@res.cisco.com. This action will generate a mobile-friendly link, allowing the recipient to securely access the content on their mobile device. An example of the HTML document the recipient will click on and the portion of the email showing how to receive the mobile device link is depicted below:
Important Notes:
- The tags. listed above are crucial for identifying emails that require encryption. Ensure that it is included at the beginning of the subject line for all sensitive communications to external recipients.
- Recipients should exercise caution when opening secure encrypted emails, especially if they are flagged by their email client. Verifying the sender and the expected content is recommended before proceeding.
- Mobile users must follow the forwarding instructions to mobile@res.cisco.com to access secure email content on their mobile devices.
By following these guidelines, users can effectively send and receive sensitive information securely, safeguarding confidential data from unauthorized access.