If you work with confidential
Texas A&M requires that confidential data be encrypted. If you have the need to send confidential data via e-mail (especially to an off-campus address), then the data should be encrypted. This can be done by encrypting the individual attachments. (e.g., MS Office provides a means to set a password for Office documents.) Another option is to use Texas A&M's ProofPoint email encryption option through Exchange.
The gist of the process is that you can add
*encrypt*
to the beginning of the subject line of your e-mail. This method will require the recipient to setup a password associated with their e-mail address on the ProofPoint system.
Full instructions with screenshots for sending encrypted email through Exchange are available. Email Encryption Instructions
Note. If you use this option, we recommend always sending a non-encrypted email to the recipient first to let them know you will be sending an encrypted message with a link to the above instructions. This will let them know to expect an email with a link to "secure-reader.tamu.edu" and know it is not a phishing attempt.