How to Lock an Email - Outlook 2007. 1

[Pyrrhus]

Can anyone please tell me how I can lock up an email sent from or received by Outlook 2007. I want to save a contractual agreement by sending an email of the Terms and Conditions, and have the other party accept it by return email. Naturally, both parties need a copy of the original email exchange which cannot be edited in any way. Must be a common issue.

Anyone know how?

 

[byundt]

One approach is using a digital signature to guarantee both that you are the sender and that the document hasn't been tampered with. Here are instructions for Outlook 2007

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/o...ges-with-a-digital-signature-HP001230539.aspx

You may need to pay a third-party authority to get your digital signature, however.

You can also apply a digital signature to a pdf of the contract. Any alteration to the file will remove the digital signature. You can create a free digital signature using Adobe Acrobat, including the free Reader version.

http://blog.creativeassociate.net/files/2/8/2/6/9/206841-196282/Create_DigitalSignature.pdf

 

[Pyrrhus]

Thanks, byundt, much appreciated.
I have checked out both those links, and I'll study them later.

Just one quickie if you happen to check back to this post:

In an "electronic agreement" situation, is it necessary for BOTH parties to digitally sign for the arrangement to work? I will certainly get one asap, and I expect I'll have to insist all future contracting parties do likewise?

Thanks again.

 

[byundt]

Pyrrhus,
I was assuming that you would be sending a digitally signed contract to the other party. They would then digitally sign and return the contract. It is this returned copy that would be the legally binding contract record--assuming that the laws in your part of the world accept digital signatures.

Brad

 

[Pyrrhus]

Thanks again, Brad. That is the situation, and that's the way I'll go.
Pyrrhus.