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use digital certificates you need to be using e-mail software (i.e. MS Outlook or MS Outlook Express) that handles digital certificates. Digital certificates require you to have a POP3-based e-mail client. You cannot use a web-based email service such as Hotmail with your digital certificate. After you have chosen a digital certificate from one of the companies above, simply follow their instructions to install it on your computer. Once you have installed a digital certificate on your computer, and obtained the digital certificate of those you want to send encrypted e-mail to, the signing and encryption functions are almost automatic. You can digitally sign and encrypt messages by simply clicking the appropriate icon on your e-mail toolbar.

It is important to understand that a digital certificate lets you sign your e-mail messages, and lets other people send encrypted e-mail to you. For you to send an encrypted e-mail message to someone, you must have a copy of their digital certificate on your computer. To obtain someone's digital certificate (technically the public key portion of their digital certificate), that person just needs to send you a digitally signed e-mail, and then you can save their certificate to your computer. You can normally save a copy of a sender's digital certificate to your system by simply adding their e-mail address to your contacts list / address book.

You can even set up your e-mail to digitally sign all of your outgoing e-mail automatically, and to automatically encrypt e-mail to any person once you have their digital certificate on your computer. To set up signature and encryption functions click on the Tools-Options menu in MS Outlook, and then click on the Security Tab. Select the boxes for: "Encrypt contents and attachments for outgoing messages" and "Add digital signature to outgoing messages."

If there is a down-side to digital certificates it is that they must be installed on each computer you are using (i.e. your home computer, office computer, and laptop). If you receive encrypted e-mail on a computer that does not contain your digital certificate, you will not be able to read it. However, this problem is easily remedied by storing your digital certificate on a thumb-drive.

Many businesses and government agencies use digital certificates to secure their official e-mail. This same security is available for personal use to any person who takes a few minutes to obtain their own digital certificate. By using digital certificates you enhance your on-line security and establish an "on-line web of trust" among your friends, co-workers, business associates, and on-line contacts.

Learn more about this author, Michael Chesbro.
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