Once the message is received by the recipient, the message is transformed back into readable plain text in one of two ways: The message remains in ciphertext while it's in transit in order to protect it from being read in case the message is intercepted. Here's how email encryption typically works:Ī message is encrypted, or transformed from plain text into unreadable ciphertext, either on the sender's machine, or by a central server while the message is in transit. For example, Microsoft 365 uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt the connection, or session, between two servers. In the service, encryption is used in Microsoft 365 by default you don't have to configure anything. Microsoft 365 uses encryption in two ways: in the service, and as a customer control. Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME).Įncryption is the process by which information is encoded so that only an authorized recipient can decode and consume the information. This article introduces the three types of encryption available for Microsoft 365 administrators to help secure email in Office 365: If you want to learn more about all security features in Office 365, visit the Office 365 Trust Center.

This article presents three ways to encrypt email in Office 365.

Microsoft 365 delivers multiple encryption options to help you meet your business needs for email security. This article compares encryption options in Microsoft 365 including Office 365 Message Encryption (OME), S/MIME, Information Rights Management (IRM), and introduces Transport Layer Security (TLS).

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