Sending emails securely
Tool for child protection practitioners

Contents

How to send emails securely within the department

How to enable the security options in Lotus Notes

How to send emails securely outside the department

How to create an encrypted folder for attachments to emails

Maintaining the security and confidentiality of child protection informationhelps to reduce the risks of information security incidents, including unauthorised access or disclosure of protected or sensitive information.

Personal information about a client sent by email outside the department must be protected by encrypting it, except for emails sent to Victoria Police to request a national police history check. See procedure Undertaking national police history checks for tasks that must be undertaken.

You should use one or more of the features listed below if the information being sent by email is sensitive and a compromise of the content could:

•cause substantial distress to individuals or private entities

•prejudice an ongoing investigation

•breach proper undertakings to maintain the confidence of information provided by third parties

•breach statutory restrictions on disclosure of information

•undermine the proper management of the public sector and its operations

•affect the public’s confidence in the department.

For more information on when you may need to increase the security of an email you send refer to the Information Security Hub on the intranet.

How to send emails securely within the department

Lotus Notes has functionality which will assist you to improve the security of an email, including:

•email encryption – encrypts the content of the email

•mark subject confidential – places an indicator in the subject line of the email to show that the email is confidential

•prevent copying (email forwarding) – to restrict the further distribution of the email

•sign – this function will digitally sign the email.

How to enable the security options in Lotus Notes

1. Create a new message in Lotus Notes.

In the toolbar – select the ‘Sign’, ‘Encrypt’ and ‘Mark Subject Confidential’ boxes.

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2. Alternatively, if the toolbar does not display these options select ‘Delivery Options’.

3. Once you are in ‘Delivery Options’, you can select the options for ‘Sign’, ‘Encrypt’ and ‘Mark Subject Confidential’.

4. To prevent email forwarding, tick the ‘Prevent copying’ option in the ‘Delivery Options’pop-up box. Youmay also choose the options of ‘Mark Subject Confidential’ and ‘Encrypt’ in this screen.

Note: The following message alert will appear if you have selected the ‘Prevent copying’ option.

It is important to note the following limitations when sending an encrypted email with the department:

  • Staff will not be able to read encrypted emails on iPads or iPhones.
  • Staff will need to enter their email password to open and view an encrypted email.
  • Email users with delegated access to another email account (for example: executive assistants who have delegated access rights to their executive director’s email account) will not be able to read emails that are addressed to their executive director unless they are copied/cc’d into the email.
  • Emails sent outside of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will not be encrypted or securely sent. This includes other government agencies.

How to send emails securely outside the department

Email recipients outside the department are most likely not using Lotus Notes as their email program, so the security features within Lotus Notes will not provide security to emails.

You can still improve security of emails by following the following steps:

  • Mark emails as ‘Confidential’.
  • Do not use client information in the ‘subject’ of the email.
  • Check the email address of the recipient.
  • When sending information to another agency by email, always use the agency’s authorised email address, not a hotmail, gmail or yahoo address, nor a worker’s personal email address.
  • Create an encrypted WinZip folder for attachments to emails that contain client information.

How to create an encrypted folder for attachments to emails

  • Open Winzip from common utilities in the start menu on your PC.
  • Select ‘New’ to create a new zip file – this opens a ‘New archive’ dialogue box.
  • Select the ‘Desktop’ as the ‘Save in’ location.
  • Enter a ‘File name’ (do not put the name of a client in the file name) and click OK – this opens an ‘Add’ dialogue box.
  • Select ‘Encrypt added files’ from options.
  • Select the document(s) you wish to send by email from the appropriate directory and click ‘Add’ (you can select more than one file at a time by holding the ctrl key when you select).
  • A ‘Winzip Caution’ box may open – if so, select OK.
  • Enter a password. You will need to phone the recipient of the email to advise the recipient of the password.
  • Select Zip 2.0 compatible encryption and click OK.
  • The selected files are now encrypted within a folder with the given name you selected on your computer desktop
  • Close Winzip.
  • Attach this WinZip file to your email.

For further assistance with Lotus Notes or WinZip please contact the IT Service Centre on 13 17 65.

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