Direct Messaging vs Standard Encrypted E-mail

Direct messaging and standard encrypted e-mail are not the same. 
- Direct messaging is only used in EZ 2000 Plus Dental for EHR. 
- Standard encrypted e-mail is not yet available in EZ 2000 Plus Dental. EZ will not automatically work with Outlook encrypted e-mail without further enhancement.

The difference between these two methods of encryption is due to how encryption certificates are shared.

Direct messaging:  Requires that a public certificate is hosted in DNS and can be found using the domain part of the recipient's e-mail address.  It is specifically used in EHR for provider to provider communication (e.g. sending/receiving Summaries of Care).  Both sender and recipient must be using a certified EHR software that supports Direct.

Standard Encrypted E-mail:  Public certificates are shared when a signed e-mail message is sent from e-mail address A to e-mail address B (an unencrypted e-mail with the public encryption certificate included as an attachment). This allows Address B to add the public encryption certificate for address A to the list of encryption keys that B can use to send messages to. This signed e-mail message must be received before any encryption can take place.

For more information, read Sending and receiving public keys and Receiving a public key via email for the Thunderbird e-mail client at https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/digitally-signing-and-encrypting-messages.

Outlook appears to work the same as Thunderbird, based on these articles http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/get-a-digital-id-HP001230537.aspx, and http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/encrypt-email-messages-HP010355559.aspx.