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What to Look of Email Encryption Software. Whether you’re involved in sensitive financial transactions or you have a small business and want to keep communications private between you and a client, email encryption software is a terrific way to protect yourself and your data. The nuts and bolts of the encryption process can be extremely complicated and difficult to understand. But the basic concept is what’s important: that your messages will remain tamper-free and private. Email encryption software takes the relatively secure transfer of emails and makes it an iron-clad process. For example, even if you’re on a public Wi-Fi connection, you’ll be able to encrypt and decrypt emails to send even the most sensitive financial and personal data. You’ll want email encryption software that is completely secure, simple to use and priced to fit your needs.

Data Security: The first and most important factor is to find email encryption software that is secure. Look for the industry encryption standards of Pretty Good Privacy and Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions for the best email security. Both of these protocols are data encryption and decryption programs that will also authenticate the message. They are much more secure than simple Transport Layer Security, which is not technically encryption because the message is revealed during relays and could be tampered with. TLS is the standard for regular email exchanges. Instead, the email encryption software will use a combination of hashing, data compression and cryptography to encrypt email. Each of these steps use different algorithms and is tied to a user name or email address.

Feature Set: Email encryption software can be complicated. And if you’re a small business owner or just need to send some secure emails, it needs to be quick and simple. If you’re sending an email to someone without an email encryption service, the email should be able to be read through a secure attachment or through simple plain text. Some services allow the end receiver to download a free email reader to make the email encryption process that much simpler and secure.

Email Clients: Some of the most important features to look for to make your process as easy as possible include integration and compatibility with existing mail clients, including Outlook and Thunderbird. If you’re exchanging emails with others on the same email encryption software, the process is secure end to end. Also, look for email encryption software that will allow you to use the secure email sending service on mobile devices such as your iPhone or Android.

Help & Support: You’ll be dealing with the transfer of private data that can include bank account numbers, private medical information or other very personal data. There’s not much room for error. And if you have a question, you’ll want a quick and helpful response from the software manufacturer.

Don’t let email encryption software scare you. It can feel intimidating with all kinds of insider lingo and technical information, but we’ll help you find the right email encryption software for your personal or business use.