Current eMessage > Technical Information > July 2019

Technical Information

MACC’s new Secure Messaging service keeps your secrets safe

by MACC’s Technical Support Team

Forms of encryption have been used all throughout time. For as long as us homo sapiens have been walking the earth, we’ve had secrets to tell our friends. From early Egyptians writing hieroglyphics on the walls, to prolific police cases like the Zodiac killer, encryption and cryptography have been used to entertain, mystify, or hide secrets from each other.

One of the most famous historical examples is the Zimmermann Telegram in 1917, where Germany tried to convince Mexico to declare war on the U.S. A British cryptanalyst team intercepted the telegram and shortly thereafter, the U.S. declared war on the German Empire. Another example is Poe’s Challenge in 1839. Edgar Allan Poe, a hobbyist cryptanalyst and author, had solved over one hundred ciphers, but published two he had been unable to solve himself. In 1985, more than a century later, it was suggested Poe had written these messages himself as a challenge to his readers. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that the second cipher was finally solved, but the significance behind them is still a mystery.

Enough history, right? What do these stories have to do with our email encryption? Well, it’s the same idea as these other examples. Encrypting email causes the odds of sensitive data being compromised to significantly decrease and it eliminates the need for a phone call to relay complex passwords. And the best part? It’s incredibly simple.

When a MACC associate needs to send you sensitive information, you will receive two emails. The first email will contain a link to view the secure message online. The second email will contain a temporary password and will only be sent the first time you access the Secure Messaging service. Once you have access to the Secure Messaging portal, you will continue to use the same login information to access secure emails from MACC in the future.

If you have any questions or need assistance with MACC’s Secure Messaging service, we’re here to help! Your MACC Technical Support team is available at 402-533-5300 or via email at [email protected].