securing your email
In keeping with the university's efforts to better secure the campus community's information, starting in January all campus mail will have to meet certain minimum security requirements. Specifically, all connections to the incoming (IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) mail servers must be encrypted.
In most cases this does not require installing additional software, just enabling security settings that are built-in to modern mail clients. This page provides instructions for securing Thunderbird, Eudora or Apple Mail for use with your GroupWise or Unity email account. If you use the GroupWise email application or only access your email through GroupWise WebAccess or Unity WebMail, you don't have to make any changes as those means of access are already secured.
If this page does not include instructions for your preferred email client, or if you experience difficulties enabling encryption on your mail client, please contact the Poe Hall Computer Help Desk -- CED_Help@ncsu.edu / 515-1760.
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Securing
Thunderbird for GroupWise
To
secure incoming mail:
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In Thunderbird go to the Tools menu and select Account Settings.
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In the Account Settings window select Server Settings from the navigation bar on the left.
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Under Security Settings set Use secure connection to SSL. (See illustration)
To secure outgoing mail:
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In Thunderbird go to the Tools menu and select Account Settings.
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In the Account Settings window select Outgoing Server (SMTP) from the navigation bar on the left.
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To the right you will see your SMTP server, smtp.ncsu.edu. Select it and then click Edit.
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Under Security and Authentication set Use secure connection to TLS, if available. (See illustration)
The first time you get or send mail after turning on SSL/TLS
encryption you may be presented with a notice indicating that
Thunderbird is "unable to verify the identity of ced2.coe.ncsu.edu as a
trusted site. (Clicking Examine
Certificate should reveal that the security certificate was
issued to North Carolina State University, College of Education.) Click Accept this certificate permanently.
Securing
Thunderbird for Unity mail
To
secure incoming mail:
-
In Thunderbird go to the Tools menu and select Account Settings.
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In the Account Settings window select Server Settings from the navigation bar on the left.
-
Under Security Settings set Use secure connection to TLS. (See illustration)
To secure outgoing mail:
-
In Thunderbird go to the Tools menu and select Account Settings.
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In the Account Settings window select Outgoing Server (SMTP) from the navigation bar on the left.
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To the right you will see your SMTP server, smtp.ncsu.edu. Select it and then click Edit.
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Under Security and Authentication set Use secure connection to TLS, if available. (See illustration)
The first time you get or send mail after turning on SSL/TLS encryption you may be presented with a notice indicating that Thunderbird is "unable to verify the identity of *.mail.ncsu.edu as a trusted site. (Clicking Examine Certificate should reveal that the security certificate was issued to North Carolina State University, ITD.) Click Accept this certificate permanently.
Securing
Apple Mail for GroupWise or Unity mail
To
secure incoming mail:
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In Apple Mail go to the Mail menu and select Preferences. Select the Accounts tab.
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In the Accounts window select the Advanced tab.
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Check the box labeled Use SSL. (See illustration)
To secure outgoing mail:
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In Apple Mail go to the Mail menu and select Preferences. Select the Accounts tab.
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In the Accounts window select the Account Information tab.
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In the Outgoing Mail Server section click Server Settings.
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Check the box labeled Use Secure Socket Layer (SSL). (See illustration)
The first time you check or send mail after turning on SSL/TLS encryption you may be presented with a notice indicating that Apple Mail "can't verify the identity" of the mail server. (Clicking Show Certificate and clicking the Details triangle should reveal that the security certificate was issued to North Carolina State University.) Check the Always trust box.
Securing
Eudora 6 & 7* for GroupWise or Unity mail
To
secure incoming mail in Eudora for
Windows:
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In Eudora go to the Tools menu and select Options.
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Select Checking Mail from the navigation bar on the left.
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Set Secure Sockets when Receiving to If Available, START TLS. (See illustration)
To secure outgoing mail in Eudora for Windows:
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In Eudora go to the Tools menu and select Options.
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Select Sending Mail from the navigation bar on the left.
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Set Secure Sockets when Sending to If Available, START TLS. (See illustration)
To secure incoming and outgoing mail in Eudora for Mac OS X:
In Eudora go to the Special menu and select Settings.
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Select SSL from the navigation bar on the left.
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Under the Secure Sockets Layer section make sure both SSL for SMTP and SSL for IMAP are set to Required (TLS).
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Set Standard Port SSL Negotiation to Maximum Compatibility. (See illustration)
The first time you get or send mail after turning on SSL/TLS encryption
you may get a Certificate Error. When asked if you want to trust this
certificate in future sessions, select Yes.
*These instructions are for Eudora versions 6
and 7. Eudora 8 is based
on the Mozilla Thunderbird code base. If you are using Eudora 8, follow
the instructions for Thunderbird.
