New Outlook for Windows will introduce S/MIME for extra security when opening emails

New Outlook for Windows will feature S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions). This feature lets you sign and encrypt your emails to keep them safe.

S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) is a technology that improves email security. It provides features such as signing and encryption. The first one, for example, ensures that the email comes from you and hasn’t been altered. It’s sort of like putting your unique signature on an email.

On the other hand, encryption means that only the intended recipient can read the email. It scrambles the content so anyone else trying to intercept it can’t understand it.

The feature was announced in a recent entry to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap. According to it, admins can set up labels that automatically sign or encrypt emails. When you use these labels, your emails will be signed or encrypted according to the settings.

Here’s what the entry says:

New Outlook for Windows will support S/MIME (Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) signing and encryption as an outcome of sensitivity labels. Admins can use set label advanced setting to define the label to have S/MIME sign or encryption or both, and emails with those labels applied will enforce S/MIME sign and encrypt accordingly. #newoutlookforwindows

The new enhancement will be released to all New Outlook users for Windows users in March next month. That’s when the platform is also set to be enhanced with time suggestions for meetings and the Email Auto-Advance feature for Android users.