Encrypting and Sharing Email
Attachments and Files at WCC
There are three ways that you can protect attachments and files, they are:
1. Google Drive
2. GCSX Mail
3. Microsoft Office 2010
Using Google Drive
If you have a WCC Google Account, you can share files in your Google Drive with any other
user on the Internet, provided they have a Google Account themselves (which is free).
How to share
In Google Drive, you can share one or more of your files with people by sending them a link
to your file or sharing the file with an individual’s email address or a mailing list.
Sharing a file with an email address or mailing list
1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Check the box next to the file or folder you'd like to share.
3. Click the Share icon
.
4. Choose visibility option: "Private,"
5. Type the email addresses of the people you want to share with in the text box below
"Add people." You can add a single person, a mailing list, or choose from your
contacts.
6. Choose the access level from the drop-down menu next to each collaborator: "Can
view," "Can comment" (Google documents and presentations only), or "Can edit."
7. Click Share & save.
Sharing something with a mailing list? Don't skip notifying people by email. Your fellow
mailing list members need to directly click the link in the email notification in order for a
shared item to show up later in their list of documents.
Send a link to a shared file
If you’ve set a file or folder to "Anyone with the link" or "Public," you can send the link to
another person and they’ll be able to access it.
1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Check the box next to the file or folder you'd like to share.
3. Click the Share icon
.
4. Copy the link at the top of the sharing settings.
5. Send the link to another person or mailing list in an email or chat.
Send a file as an email attachment
Google Drive eliminates the need to send files as email attachments, but if you absolutely
must, here's how:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Open the file you'd like to share.
Go to the File menu, and select Email as attachment....
Select a file type from the drop-down menu.
Enter the email addresses of the people to whom you'd like to send the file. If you'd
like, you can also add a subject and a message.
5. Click Send. Recipients will receive the file as a downloadable attachment in the
format you've selected.
Tips for sharing in Google Drive
Notify people when you share something
Whenever you share something with someone they’ll receive an email notification to let
them know they have access and can retrieve what you shared the next time they sign into
their Google Drive. Prefer not to notify them? Uncheck the "Notify people via email" box.
Add lots of collaborators quickly by sharing with a Google Group
Rather than type your collaborators’ email addresses one-by-one, add an entire Google
Group. Each member of that Google Group will have access to whatever you’ve shared,
including people who are added to the group after you’ve shared something. This option
isn’t available for mailing lists that aren’t Google Groups.
Share lots of files at once
If you want to share multiple items with your collaborators, move them into a folder
and share the folder, with them. Since you’re sharing the folder, that’s their key to access.
They’ll be able to access to whatever’s stored there or lose access if you remove something
that they don’t already have access to.
Using GCSX Mail
GCSX Mail is a way to send email (and included attachments) over a secure, private network
that protects the contents of the email you are sending.
This is for Government Departments, Local Authorities, the Police and some NHS accounts
to all communicate together securely. Unfortunately, this solution is limited to these groups
only; it cannot send to any typical email – it has to be a GCSX Address.
You need to know that the other person you’re sending to has a GCSX mailbox. Firstly,
check: does their email address end with any of the following:
.gcsx.gov.uk
.gsi.gov.uk
.gse.gov.uk
.gsisup.gov.uk
.gsx.gov.uk
.pnn.police.uk
.pnn.gov.uk
.nhs.net
If yes, you’re ready to go!
If not, then you’ll have to contact them, either by phone or via their normal email address
and ask “Do you have a secure mail address?”
If yes, then check their GCSX address against the list above. If it matches, then you’re good
to go!
To get a GCSX address, to allow the ability to send to the email address extensions (above)
please look on our dedicated page on the Warwickshire CC Website at the following
location:
http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/usinggcsxmail
This describes the whole process, from start to finish.
Using Microsoft Office 2010 built-in file encryption
Firstly, it is important to check whether you are using Office 2010 and not a previous
version, which does not contain encryption.
If you go to File-Help, you’ll be presented with this screen and it will confirm which version
you are using in the right hand panel.
In Microsoft Office, you can use passwords to help prevent other people from opening or
modifying your documents, workbooks, and presentations. It's important to know that if
you don't remember your password, Microsoft or WCC can’t retrieve your forgotten
passwords.
Is this only to other users of Office 2010?
If you have to encrypt Office documents, we recommend that you save the documents as
Open XML Format files (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, and so on) instead of Office 97–2003 format
(.doc, .xls, .ppt, and so on).
Documents that are saved as Open XML Format files and encrypted by using Office 2010 can
only be read by Office 2010, Office 2007 SP2, and Office 2003 with the Office 2007 SP2
compatibility pack.
Please ensure that your recipient meets these requirements as they will not be able to open
these attachments otherwise.
Protecting Word documents

In an open document, click File > Info > Protect Document.
You see the following options.

Encrypt with Password Set a password for the document.
When you select Encrypt with Password, the Encrypt Document dialog box appears. In
the Password box, type a password. Important: Microsoft cannot retrieve lost or forgotten
passwords, so keep a list of your passwords and corresponding file names in a safe place.
What about Excel spreadsheets?

In an open worksheet, click File > Info > Protect Workbook.
You see the following options.

Encrypt with Password Set a password for the document.
When you select Encrypt with Password, the Encrypt Document dialog box appears. In
the Password box, type a password. Important Microsoft can’t retrieve lost or forgotten
passwords, so keep a list of your passwords and corresponding file names in a safe place.