Using your personal e-mail certificate

When you sign up for your certificate, Thawte will send you an e-mail message with a link to activate it.
Complete directions will be in their message to you.

After you've installed the certificate, start using it!

You will need to configure your e-mail client to enable the certificate. Most e-mail clients have a 'Tools' menu option on the top tool bar. Under this is typically an 'options' menu. This is usually where you find the security setting. Since the exact menu structure and wording changes from version to version, I won't try and be specific about the location under all the menus.

You will find a setting to 'add digital signature to outgoing messages' (or something like that). If you check this option, then all messages that you send will automatically include a signature. If you don't check this option, then you can indicate that you want to sign a specific message by clicking on the 'options' menu (or button) for a specific message - this will usually be on the page where you compose the message. You might have to look around (or use the help for your e-mail client) to find this, but all clients will have these options. If they don't have these options, then you might not have a S/MIME compliant e-mail client.

When you first get your certificate, you might want to wait to turn on signing for all messages until you have tested it with a few of your friends or co-workers. After you're sure, then go ahead and turn on the global setting. Otherwise, just turn it on for messages to people that you know will be able to receive it.

This is a word-of-mouth thing. Until people outside of the technology world start using digital signatures, they will remain mysterious and obscure. Get one, use it when you send messages and tell people about it if they ask what that attached file is all about.

Occasionally, send an encrypted message - just to keep the NSA on it's toes... just kidding... (sort of)

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