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Dealing with Digitally Signed Messages

Due to security concerns on the Internet, many people have started sending their e-mail messages with a digital signature attached. This signature allows you to verify that the message really came from who it said it did.

While most e-mail client deal well with these messages by default, there are a few tricks to making Outlook Express play nice. The steps in this guide are designed to make it easier for you to respond to messages that are digitally signed.

Step 1:

When opening an e-mail that has a digital signature for the first time, you will see the message shown below where the body of the e-mail would normally be displayed:

Step 2:

Unless you change the setting, this message will be displayed every time you view a message that has a digital signature.

To keep this from happening, click the checkbox next to Don't show me this Help screen again.

Step 3:

Click the Continue button.

Step 4:

After click the Continue button is Step 3, you will be presented with the "real" body of the message in place of the help screen.

Step 5:

When trying to reply to a message with a digital signature, you will receive the message shown below if you do not have a digital signature of your own.

Click the Cancel button.

Step 6:

To turn off the digital signing of this reply, click on the Sign button in the toolbar in the top of the message window.

For more information concerning digital signing of e-mail, please visit the VSU Information Security webpage.