THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF BOROUGHS

Secure Messaging Systems

Below is documentation on a variety of secure messaging systems that we may encounter. It will explain some of the processes of how they work so you can be familiar with them and not fall for any emails that may look similar.

Mimecast Secure Messaging Service

Messages from any person who’s company uses this will send emails from postmaster@THEIR_DOMAIN (Where THEIR_DOMAIN is their actual domain. So in this example it’s postmaster@norristown.org). The links should take you to URLs that look like this https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/RANDOM_HASH (Where RANDOM_HASH is a long list of random characters). Also note that you will need to create a login in order to use this. Store these credentials in your Passwords.xlsx.

About the Mimecast Secure Messaging Service

Sample Email
Password creation screen
Login screen
Login screen part 2
Message inbox

Barracuda Message Center

Messages from any person who’s company uses this will send emails from noreply@barracuda.com with a link to https://encrypt.barracudanetworks.com/login?nid=RANDOM_HASH (Where RANDOM_HASH is a long list of random characters). It is important to note the domain doesn’t link to barracuda.com even though the message comes from barracuda.com. Also note that you will need to create a login in order to use this. Store these credentials in your Passwords.xlsx.

About the Barracuda Message Center

Sample Email

Microsoft Purview Message Encryption

These messages will appear to come from the actual individual or from Office365@messaging.microsoft.com. The message has a button in the middle that says “Read the message”. The link itself goes to https://outlook.office365.com/Encryption/retrieve.ashx. You will either have to use a one time password to login, which will email your address with a password. Or you can login using a Microsoft account that uses the same email address as it was sent to. Microsoft 365 accounts should be setup for every PSAB staff already, so you should be able to just login with that.

About the Microsoft Purview Message Encryption
PDF of the old Office 365 documentation

Sample Email w/ custom From email address
Sample Email w/ default From email address
Initial Read Message screen, select “Sign in with a work or school account”
It may ask you which account to use, select the “Work or school account” and login with your PSAB provided Microsoft account which should be in your Passwords.xlsx. If not, please reach out to IT.

CourseVector Secure Messaging

This is our in-house secure messaging system. Any messages sent from the secure messaging system will send an email to the creator with a link to destroy the message and a link to the recipient to view the message. Below is what a message as the recipient looks like.

Direct link to CourseVector Secure Messaging Service

Sample Email