{"id":3180,"date":"2023-04-17T20:18:18","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T20:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=3180"},"modified":"2023-04-17T20:18:20","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T20:18:20","slug":"how-to-digitally-sign-an-email-using-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/how-to-digitally-sign-an-email-using-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Digitally Sign an Email Using Outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We\u2019ll walk you through how to add your digital ID to Outlook in the form of an Outlook email signing certificate so you can send digitally signed messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Knowing how to digitally sign an email is useful if you want recipients to know that your emails are legitimate and haven\u2019t been modified since they were sent. This article aims to quickly walk you through sending digitally signed emails in Outlook Microsoft 365. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we aren\u2019t here to talk in-depth about what Outlook digital signatures are<\/a> and why they matter; check out our previous article if you want to learn about those topics. But for now, let\u2019s jump straight into how to digitally sign an email in Outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3 Steps to Guide You Through How to Digitally Sign an Email in Outlook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Adding a digital signature to your outbound emails is as simple as 1, 2, 3 \u2014 literally. It really couldn\u2019t be easier using Outlook in Microsoft Office 365.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Create the Email You Wish to Encrypt in Outlook<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Open a new email in Outlook, write whatever message you want to send, and add any attachments (if applicable).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2. Add Your Digital Signature to the Email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the top menu, navigate to the Options<\/strong> tab and select Sign<\/strong> in the Encrypt section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Send Your Email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now, the final step is to send your email to your recipient, which you can do by hitting the Send<\/strong> button. Yup, sending a digitally signed email is that easy when you use a digital ID certificate in Outlook. As we said a few moments ago, the process of digitally signing your email really can\u2019t get any easier in Outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do you know that the signing of your email was successful? Check your sent mail folder. If you check Outlook\u2019s sent mail folder, you\u2019ll see that your outgoing message includes a small ribbon graphic, which denotes that the email was digitally signed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Ensure All Outbound Messages Include Your Digital Signature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And once you select the Digital Signature option, you don\u2019t have to re-select it every time you want to send a new email. But if you want to double-check to ensure Outlook automatically applies your digital signature to all outgoing emails, you\u2019ll want to configure your settings in Outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In your Inbox screen, navigate to File<\/strong> > Options<\/strong> > and select Trust Center<\/strong> in the popup window:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once there, select Trust Center Settings<\/strong> (as shown below). This will open a new screen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the next window, select Email Security<\/strong> from the left-hand navigation bar. Under Encrypted Email (i.e., the topmost section), make sure to select Add digital signature to outgoing messages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s it! Now your emails are set to add your verified digital signature automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, having the ability to sign an email in Outlook digitally is predicated upon two critical factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. You have the requisite digital certificate (i.e., an email signing certificate<\/a>, or what\u2019s sometimes called a personal authentication certificate), and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. That the digital certificate is installed in your email client or on your device. (We\u2019ll talk more about that in just a few moments.) <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s dive into these processes to get you on your way to sending digitally signed emails in Outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Get an Email Signing Certificate From a Trusted CA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Purchase your email signing certificate.<\/strong> You can get an email signing certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) such Sectigo. Simply choose the CA and email signing certificate you want and then complete the requisite certificate signing request (CSR) form.  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      Buy an Email Signing Certificate<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n