email encryption

Virtru email encryption is the preferred method to send and view encrypted emails and files with your FDU email address. Available for FDU Faculty and Staff upon request. Click the link below to request access to Virtru Email Encryption.

The Virtru Email Encryption Tutorial will help users navigate installation, basic use, different usage scenarios, and common technical questions.

Alternative Approved Methods for Encryption

If you are not approved for Virtru email encryption, the articles below are alternative, FDU OIRT and DSIRT approved methods for encrypting Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF files and comply with the University WISP.

Virtru email encryption is a security enhancement to FDU’s Office 365 and Microsoft Outlook email environment, which provides Faculty and Staff the option of sending and receiving encrypted emails using their FDU email account.

Section – About

Part : About Virtru Email Encryption

What is Virtru Email Encryption

Virtru email encryption is a security enhancement to FDU’s Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Outlook email environment, which provides Faculty and Staff the option of sending and receiving encrypted emails using their FDU email account. Virtru for the Microsoft Outlook desktop email client is available for installation for approved FDU Faculty and Staff via the FDU Self Service Portal for Software on Windows 10 desktops and laptops owned by the University.

Virtru Email Client

The Virtru client provides a seamless experience when using the Microsoft Outlook desktop client. The Virtru Outlook plugin is only available on university laptops or desktops running Microsoft Windows.

Virtru for Office365

All Apple macOS users and users who access their FDU email through Office 365 can use Virtru email encryption to send sensitive information electronically.

What is Virtru Secure Reader?

Virtru’s Secure Reader is a platform that can be accessed within FDU’s Outlook on the Web (office365.fdu.edu) and right on your web browser by clicking the “Unlock Message” button in your Virtru secured email. From there, all you have to do is quickly validate you are an authorized recipient of that email or file. Once complete, you can read and reply to the secure email directly in your browser.

A secure message encrypted by Virtru will have a few key components, including a short unencrypted message from the sender, and a button that says “Unlock Message”.

Request Form

To obtain access to Virtru in order to send encrypted emails, you must fill out the request from below:

For additional support, please contact the Fairleigh Dickinson University Technical Assistance Center (UTAC).

Section – Installation and Activation

Part : Installing Virtru onto a University PC

Installing Virtru onto a University PC

Part : Activating Virtru on a University PC

Activating Virtru on a University PC

1. When you open Microsoft Outlook after the Virtru has been installed, you will be prompted to activate your Virtru plugin. Click “Activate“ to begin. You may choose “Later” if you do not wish to activate at this time

2. You will be presented with a list of FDU email accounts configured to use in Microsoft Outlook. If your Microsoft Outlook application is associated with multiple email accounts, click on only those you will need to use Virtru email encryption. Then click “Continue“

3. After selecting the proper accounts, you will have the choice of signing in with FDU’s email provider (Microsoft Office 365) or choosing to receive an activation email. Choose “Sign in with Office 365“

Activating Virtru through Office 365 Sign in

1. Enter your FDU NetID credentials when prompted and proceed through the FDU Single Sign-on webpage, including completing Duo Multi-Factor authentication. If you experience issues, choose to “Send me an activation email” and follow the directions given below in item

Activating Virtru through Activation Email

1. If you are unable to activate your account(s) using “Sign in with Office 365,” choose to “Send me an activation email.” The process will take a few moments to complete in the background

2. During this process, Virtru will send a unique email from noreply-activation@virtru.com to your mailbox. The Virtru plugin will search for this email in your inbox. When the activation email is found, Virtru will automatically delete the email from your email inbox, and the Virtru plugin will complete the activation

If your activation does not automatically complete in a few minutes, please contact the Fairleigh Dickinson University Technical Assistance Center (UTAC).

Activating from the Virtru Menu

If you have disabled automatic activations, you can still activate Virtru on your account(s) at any time.

1. Select the ‘Virtru‘ menu tab from the top bar of the main Microsoft Outlook window

2. Choose “Authorize Accounts” or “Options“

3. If you select “Options,” go to the ‘Account Activation‘ menu tab, select your FDU email account, and click on “Activate Selected“

4. You will then follow the activation process already illustrated above in “Activating Virtru through Office 365 Sign-on“ or “Activating Virtru through activation email” described above

Part : Re-enabling a Virtru Account

Re-enabling a Virtru Account

FDU Virtru users will occasionally be required to reactivate their Virtru add-in due to the following:

• You’ve cleared your registry
• Your Virtru activation status has expired. For security purposes, Virtru will invalidate your activation status every
  • 120 days for users accessing their own mailboxes
  • 10 days for users accessing shared or delegated mailboxes
• You are using Virtru on a new machine

You are automatically prompted when you need to re-activate. You can also proactively reactivate at any time via the ‘Virtru’ menu tab. This process was described above in “Activating from the Virtru Menu.”

Reset Activations

If you wish to fully deactivate all accounts in Microsoft Outlook, you can do so from the ‘Virtru’ menu tab:

1. Click on the ‘Virtru‘ menu tab at the top of your Microsoft Outlook window and select “Debug Log“

2. Click on the ‘Debug Commands‘ menu tab option and select the “Reset Activations (clears registry only)” option

3. Click “Yes” and then “OK” to confirm the changes

4. From the ‘Virtru‘ menu tab, you can reauthorize by clicking on “Authorize Accounts“

Part : Virtru Walkthrough Video

Virtru Walkthrough Video

Section – Virtru for Microsoft Outlook

Part : Send a Virtru-encrypted Email in Outlook

Send a Virtru-encrypted Email in Outlook

With Virtru, you can easily protect your emails by encrypting messages and attachments in a few simple clicks.

1. Left-click “New Email” from the main Outlook window

2. Open the ‘Message‘ menu tab and left-click the “Virtru button” to turn “Virtru ON.” The button should turn blue and read “Virtru ON”

3. Add recipients, a subject, the body of the email, and any relevant attachments

4. When your message is ready, click “Send.” You should see a brief animation letting you know that the message is “Encrypting” before it is fully sent

FDU Virtru-encrypted Email Introduction for Recipients

FDU includes a standardized introduction to inform the recipient that they are viewing a Virtru-encrypted email. Below is an example of what the recipient will see. If you have updated the introduction, it will be reflected accordingly

Personal Virtru-encrypted Email Introduction for Recipients

You can also set a one-time, unencrypted personal introduction for the message to either clarify the introduction of Virtru to the recipient or provide some context about the email. Left-click the “Personal Introduction” menu button in your email draft window.

Section – Virtru for Microsoft Office 365

Part : Send a Virtru-encrypted Email on Microsoft Office 365

Send a Virtru-encrypted Email on Microsoft Office 365

With Virtru, you can easily protect your emails by encrypting messages and attachments in a few simple clicks. To send Virtru encrypted emails from your Microsoft Office 365 email acount, simply prepend the subject line of your email as follows:

#secure#

Virtru-encrypted Email Recipient Experience

The recipient will receive an email that looks like this:

Part : Read a Virtru Encrypted Email on Microsoft Office 365

Read a Virtru Encrypted Email on Microsoft Office 365

In this article, we’ll show you how to quickly access and read your Virtru-secured message or attachment within Microsoft Office 365 using Virtru’s Secure Reader.

How to Access and Read your Message

1. Login to FDU’s Microsoft Office 365 web portal using any web browser. Enter your FDU NetID credentials

2. Open the Virtru-secured email in your inbox and left-click “Unlock Message.” A new tab will open

3. When prompted, select your FDU email address

4. Choose how you’d like to verify your identity
   • Microsoft Office 365 users can use their FDU NetID credentials to log into the Secure Reader using “Sign In with Microsoft.” If you choose this route, you can skip step #5 below.
   • Alternatively, users may choose “Or sign-in with a one-time verification link.”

5. If you selected “Or sign-in with a one-time verification link,” check your inbox for your verification email. It will come from verify+xxxxxxxx@virtru.com (with each “x” being a digit). Open the verification email and left-click “View Message” to open your message

6. Your message will open the Virtru Secure Reader in a new tab in the browser. You will also be able to view and access attachments at this time

For a variety of reasons, some recipients may occasionally receive an error message when trying to open a secure email or attachment. If you are having problems accessing your secure email and/or files, please contact the Fairleigh Dickinson University Technical Assistance Center (UTAC) for assistance.

Part : Reply to a Virtru Encrypted Email on Microsoft Office 365

Reply to a Virtru Encrypted Email on Microsoft Office 365

In this article, we’ll show you how to quickly reply to your Virtru-secured message or attachment within Microsoft Office 365 using Virtru’s Secure Reader.

How to Reply to a Secure Message

1. Login to FDU’s Microsoft Office 365 web portal using any web browser. Enter your FDU NetID credentials

2. After successfully opening the Virtru-secured message, to send a “Secure Reply,” scroll down the page below the main message, or click the icon in the top right with the arrow pointing to the left. You may also click on the arrow next to it to reveal additional options such as “Secure Reply All“

3. Attachments can be added by clicking “Add Attachment.” These attachments will be sent securely as well

4. When you are ready to send your email, hit the “Secure Send” button. Both you and all applicable recipients will receive a copy of your reply. Please note that your secure reply will be sent from secure-reply@virtru.com

Part : Viewing a Secure File or Attachment on Microsoft Office 365

Viewing a Secure File or Attachment on Microsoft Office 365

This article covers the different options you have for viewing and downloading secure attachments and files within Microsoft Office 365 using Virtru’s Secure Reader. Depending on the type of attachment you’ve received, you can view your file directly in the Virtru Secure Reader or download the file to your computer. The Virtru Secure Reader can preview various file types, including PDF, Word documents, most image files, and plain text files.

Viewing Directly in the Secure Reader

1. Login to FDU’s Microsoft Office 365 web portal using any web browser. Enter your FDU NetID credentials

2. If you’ve received an attachment in a Virtru secured email or an encrypted file that was shared directly with you, you can hover over the file name and choose “View” or “View Protected file” to view the attachment right in your web browser

Downloading Unsupported File Types

If you’ve received a file that cannot be previewed in the Virtru Secure Reader, you will be prompted to download that file directly. There will be no “View” option.

Printing Attachments in the Secure Reader

You can print a document from the Secure Reader by selecting the menu under the “Download “button and then selecting “Print.” You may also choose to download it first, then open and print via a preferred program on your computer.

Section – Additional Resources

Part : Using the Virtru Dashboard for Microsoft Office 365 Users

Using the Virtru Dashboard for Microsoft Office 365 Users

Users who access their FDU email through the Microsoft Office 365 web portal and all Apple macOS users will need to use the Virtru Dashboard to manage all of Virtru’s security options.

1. To use the Virtru Dashboard, click the link below:

2. Choose “Sign in with Office365“, and skip to Step 5. If you choose to request a one-time verification link, enter your FDU email address and click on “Submit“

3. If you request the one-time verification link, you will receive an email from Verify for Virtru, as shown below. If you are using different web browsers, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, it will be reflected in the email message accordingly

4. Click “Verify me” and choose “Copy Link Location.” Open a new browser tab and paste the link location into the URL space. Hit the “Enter” or “Return” key on your keyboard

5. When you log in to the Virtru Dashboard for the first time, you will see the message below. Left-click “OK, GOT IT!“

6. You will now be able to view Virtru encrypted emails or files you have sent, as well as open the ‘Settings‘ menu tab to set behaviors for your Virtru account

Part : Manage Virtru’s Expiration Date Security Option in Outlook

Manage Virtru’s Expiration Date Security Option in Outlook

In addition to encrypting messages and files, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply an “Expiration Date” to an encrypted email or file.

Typically, if a Virtru email recipient receives an encrypted message or file, they can indefinitely access that content. However, as the owner of that content, you can restrict access after a particular point in time. If a recipient tries to access the content after expiration, they will receive a prompt indicating their access is expired.

Part : Manage Virtru’s Expiration Date Security Option in the Virtual Dashboard

Manage Virtru’s Expiration Date Security Option in the Virtru Dashboard

In addition to encrypting messages and files, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply an “Expiration Date” to an encrypted email or file.

Typically, if a Virtru email recipient receives an encrypted message or file, they can indefinitely access that content. However, as the owner of that content, you can restrict access after a particular point in time. If a recipient tries to access the content after expiration, they will receive a prompt indicating their access is expired.

Part : Manage Virtru’s Disable Forwarding Security Option in Outlook

Manage Virtru’s Disable Forwarding Security Option in Outlook

In addition to encrypting messages and attachments, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply “Disable Forwarding” to a Virtru-encrypted email.

Typically, if a Virtru plugin for Microsoft Outlook user receives an encrypted message, they can use Virtru to forward the email to a new party. This will add the new recipient as an authorized user and allow them to unlock the message. “Disable Forwarding,” however, ensures that your recipients can access the encrypted content but will stop any additional users from gaining access to the message. If the original recipient passes the email to a new party, then the new user will not be added as an authorized user and will not be able to unlock the message.

Part : Manage Virtru’s Disable Forwarding Security Option in the Virtru Dashboard

Manage Virtru’s Disable Forwarding Security Option in the Virtru Dashboard

In addition to encrypting messages and attachments, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply “Disable Forwarding” to an encrypted email.

Part : Manage Virtru’s Watermarking Security Option in Outlook

Manage Virtru’s Watermarking Security Option in Outlook

In addition to encrypting messages and attachments, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply “Watermarking” to an encrypted file.

Typically, if a Virtru recipient receives an encrypted file, they can preview the file in the Virtru Secure Reader and download a decrypted copy locally. When “Watermarking” is applied to a secure file, recipients will only have access in the Secure Reader and will see their email address watermarked across the document.

The addition of the watermark is visible but transparent enough not to obscure the contents of the file when viewed. A recipient will not be able to download a local decrypted copy of the file.

This feature can be applied using the Virtru plugin for Microsoft Outlook or the Virtru Dashboard. It supports the following common file types:

• Microsoft Office documents: .docx, .pptx, .xlsx
• Common image file formats: .jpeg, .png
• PDF documents

Part : Manage Virtru’s Watermarking Security Option in the Virtru Dashboard

Mange Virtru’s Watermarking Security Option in the Virtru Dashboard

In addition to encrypting messages and attachments, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply “Watermarking” to an encrypted file.

Typically, if a Virtru recipient receives an encrypted file, they can preview the file in the Virtru Secure Reader and download a decrypted copy locally. When “Watermarking” is applied to a secure file, recipients will only have access in the Secure Reader and will see their email address watermarked across the document.

The addition of the watermark is visible but transparent enough not to obscure the contents of the file when viewed. A recipient will not be able to download a local decrypted copy of the file.

This feature can be applied using the Virtru plugin for Microsoft Outlook or the Virtru Dashboard. It supports the following common file types:

• Microsoft Office documents: .docx, .pptx, .xlsx
• Common image file formats: .jpeg, .png
• PDF documents

Part : Revoke Virtru Encrypted Content in Outlook

Revoke Virtru Encrypted Content in Outlook

When a Virtru user sends encrypted content, they have full control over access to the message(s) and/or file(s). Even if a recipient receives encrypted content, the sender has the ability to revoke (or reauthorize) access at any time. Virtru even allows the sender to revoke access to specific recipients.

Part : Revoke Virtru Encrypted Content in the Virtru Dashboard

Revoke Virtru Encrypted Content in the Virtru Dashboard

When a Virtru user sends encrypted content, they have full control over access to the message(s) and/or file(s). Even if a recipient receives encrypted content, the sender has the ability to revoke (or reauthorize) access at any time. Virtru even allows the sender to revoke access to specific recipients.

Part : Using Virtru’s Persistent File Protection (PFP) Security Option

Using Virtru’s Persistent File Protection (PFP) Security Option

In addition to encrypting messages and attachments, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to apply “Persistent File Protection (PFP)” to an encrypted file.

PFP provides a secure file container that is portable, universally accessible, and built on top of open standards. Regardless of where files are stored, PFP allows you to select, protect, and share a file with anyone while maintaining full visibility into how it is being used and retaining the ability to revoke access at any time. Any file protected with PFP will convert into the .tdf.html file format. This ensures that the contents are only accessible in Virtru’s Secure Reader, and only authorized parties can view it.

This feature can be applied using the Virtru plugin for Microsoft Outlook on Windows Operating Systems only. It supports the following common file types:

• Microsoft Office documents: .docx, .pptx, .xlsx
• Common image file formats: .jpeg, .png
• PDF documents