Summary
Environment
- Zixmail
- Google Workspace @vcu.edu domain
Solution
To send an encrypted email through Zix, there are two ways to "prompt" Zix to encrypt your email: By policy and by keyword.
Email Encryption by Policy
Certain clinical areas send mail automatically using Zix when communicating with external recipients. If you are uncertain if this applies to you, please contact your department's IT to verify.
If an email does not need to be encrypted when it would automatically be encrypted, the sender can send the email including the word insecure or cleared in the subject line.
Email Encryption by Keyword
To manually prompt Zix to encrypt your email, include the word secure or zixmail in the subject line.
Additional Information
Opening and viewing secure mail
- Mail sent by VCU's instance of Zix is sent from notification@securemail.vcu.edu with the subject line "You have a VCU Secure Email."
- The URL in a secure message from VCU will always begin with https://securemail.vcu.edu. If the recipient receives an email directing them elsewhere, they should NOT open the link and instead report the email to drgee@vcu.edu immediately.
- First-time users may click the "create your account" link at https://securemail.vcu.edu to register their email address or authenticate using existing Google or Microsoft credentials. Otherwise, proceed with entering existing login credentials.
- Open the secure message and take the appropriate actions (reply, delete, etc.). When finished, click Sign Out.
NOTE: The message will automatically expire after two weeks if no action is taken and the sender will receive a notification indicating their message expired.
How ZIX works in different scenarios
If both you and the recipient use Zix:
The message is sent securely through Zix’s private network. It goes straight to the recipient’s inbox and will include a blue banner at the top that says: This message was sent securely using ZixCorp.
If the recipient’s email system supports secure connections (TLS):
The message is sent securely using that method instead. You’ll see a short note at the bottom of the email saying: This message was secured by ZixCorp.
If the recipient’s email system doesn’t support secure connections:
The message is stored safely in Zix’s secure portal. The recipient will get a regular email with a link to log in and view the secure message there.