Using a Digital Certificate in Lotus Notes® to Digitally Sign and Encrypt Emails

If you have a digital certificate, you can use it to digitally sign and encrypt emails. IdenTrust digital certificates that can be used for this application include:

• DoD ECA certificates
• IdenTrust TrustID® certificates
• IdenTrust Global Common (IGC) certificates

These instructions assume that you have already installed a digital certificate on a Microsoft® Windows® computer using Microsoft® Edge and that you want to use that certificate with Lotus Notes on the same computer

There are four (4) general steps:

1. Export the certificate from the browser.
    
2. Import the certificate to your Notes ID file.
    
3. Configure the certificate for Internet mail from Notes.
    
4. Use the certificate as you send and receive email from Notes.

Please note that the first three (3) steps only have to be done once.

1. Export the Certificate From the Browser
   Please note that you will need to have backed up your certificate to a file beforehand. If you need assistance with that process, please see our instructions on How to Export a Certificate When Using Microsoft Windows OS.
   
    
2. Import the Certificate to Your Notes ID File
   •  In Notes, choose “File – Tools – User ID”.
   • Enter your “password” when requested and click “OK”.
   • Go to the “More Options” panel of the “User ID” dialog box
   • Click the “Import Internet Certificates” button
   • In the “Specify File Containing the Internet Certificates” dialog box, browse to the file you exported on Step 1, select it and click “Open”.
   • You will be asked for the password to the file. This is the password you chose when exporting the certificate.
   • You will see a list of several certificates that are contained in the “Exported Digital ID” file. Click “Accept All”.
    
3. Configure the Certificate for Internet Mail From Notes
   • In Notes, choose “File – Tools – User ID”
   • Go to the “Certificates” panel of the “User ID” dialog box.
   • Scroll down in the “Certificates Issued By” list until you see the new certificate(s) you just imported.
   • Select your “Public Key Certificate” (not the certificate authority certificates). When you select the correct certificate, your email address will appear in the “Certificates Issued To” list.
   • Make sure that the “This is your default signing certificate” checkbox is selected.
   • Click “OK”.
    
4. Use the Certificate As You Send and Receive Email From Notes
    
   • When composing an email message, click the “Delivery Options” action button to open the “Delivery Options” dialog box.
   • On the “Basics” tab, select “Sign” (to authenticate the message) or “Encrypt” (to make the message secret) or both.
   • Click “OK”.
    

 Please note that to send an encrypted email to someone who is not using Lotus Notes Mail, you must have that person’s public key certificate in your Domino Directory. The certificate, if present, is visible on the “Certificates” tab of the recipient’s “Person” document under “Internet Certificates”.