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Digital ID's for Secure Email Transactions
Get your
Digital ID here.
As more people send confidential information by e-mail, it is increasingly important to
be sure that documents sent in e-mail are not forged, and to be certain that messages you
send cannot be intercepted and read by anyone other than your intended recipient.
By using "digital IDs" with Outlook Express, you can prove your identity in
electronic transactions in a way similar to showing your driver's license when you cash a
check. You can also a digital ID to encrypt messages, keeping them private. Digital IDs
incorporate the S/MIME specification for secure electronic mail.
A digital ID is composed of a "public key," a "private key," and a
"digital signature." When you digitally sign your messages, you are adding your
digital signature and public key to the message. The combination of a digital signature
and public key is called a "certificate." With Outlook Express, you can specify
a certificate to be used by others to send encrypted messages to you. This certificate can
be different from your signing certificate.
Recipients can use your digital signature to verify your identity; they can use your
public key to send you encrypted mail that only you can read by using your private key. To
send encrypted messages, your address book must contain digital IDs for the recipients.
That way, you can use their public keys to encrypt the messages. When a recipient gets an
encrypted message, their private key is used to decrypt the message for reading.
Before you can start sending digitally signed messages, you must obtain a digital ID.
If you are sending encrypted messages, your address book must contain a digital ID for
each recipient.
Digital IDs are issued by independent certification authorities. When you apply for a
digital ID at a certification authority's Web site, they verify your identity before
issuing an ID. There are different classes of digital IDs, each certifying to a different
level of trustworthiness.
For more information, use the Help at the certification authority's Web site, or
Get your
Digital ID here.
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