Summary
Zix (or "Zixmail", "VCU Secure Mail", or "Encrypted Mail") allows users to send mail securely to external addresses. Mail sent internally (between vcu.edu or vcuhealth.org) is already encrypted and does not need Zix. However, Zix may need to be used when sending sensitive information externally. There are two ways to tell Zix to encrypt mail: By policy (automatic, based on department and email contents) or by keywords (putting secure or zixmail in the subject line)
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.