Outlook: Receiving Encrypted Emails with Office 365

NYSERDA uses encryption capabilities to email Personal, Private, and Sensitive Information (PPSI) outside of NYSERDA or to other State agencies not on the same ITS email system as NYSERDA. An email recipient may receive an encrypted email from NYSERDA in one of two ways:

1. System-generated from ITS's Data Loss Prevention (DLP) application, which automatically encrypts emails with suspected PPSI. (Currently, the sender does not receive an email notification that their email was encrypted by the DLP. ITS is working to alert the sender of the email.) 
2. Sender-encrypted by the NYSERDA sender using #encrypt in the Subject line.  (If the email was encrypted by the DLP, the subject line will NOT contain #encrypt.)

Email recipients are encouraged to contact NYSERDA with questions about encrypted email. If in doubt, please contact NYSERDA before opening any suspicious emails.

DLP System-Generated Encrypted Email

The following describes the process the recipient of a DLP system-generated encrypted email must follow (for emails without #encrypt in the subject line)

      1. The recipient receives the encrypted email message from NYS secure messaging system. Click "Read the message"

2. The message will open in Office 365 online in the recipient's default Web Browser.  To view the email message, the recipient can either:

            a) Login with their Microsoft Account, or

            b) Select Use a One-Time Passcode (recommended)

3. If using a One-Time Passcode, the recipient will get an email with the subject, "Your one-time passcode to view the message". Enter the passcode as prompted in the web page, and click Continue to view the message.

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Sender-Encrypted Email

The following describes the process the recipient of a sender-encrypted email must follow (for emails with #encrypt in the subject line). The recipient must respond in the secure web browser in order for their reply email to be encrypted.

1. The recipient will receive an email message from the NYSERDA sender with #encrypt in the Subject line

      2. The recipient opens the email message and it states they have received an Encrypted message and provides instructions on how to access the message. The user must save the attachment and open it

        3. The saved attachment will open in their default Web Browser and instructs the user to login with a Microsoft Account or select Use a One-Time Passcode to view the message.

          4. Selecting the One-Time Passcode option instantly sends the user an email with the code they must enter

           5 .They then enter the code into the web page as instructed

            6. And the message with attachment is open in the Web Browser, securely. To securely reply, the recipient must use this Web Browser.

The user is able to Reply to the message from this page if needed to ensure encrypted transmission!