Setting up Microsoft Outlook for Secure SMTP Authentication

Introduction

This document provides instructions on how to configure Microsoft Outlook to securely authenticate your outbound (SMTP) email at MIT. It assumes that you are already a user of Microsoft Outlook and have successfully configured settings to send and receive email using IMAP.

For step-by-step directions on how to configure Microsoft Outlook to send and receive email at MIT, see the full set of instructions for Setting up Microsoft Outlook for Use with IMAP.

Note: The example "screen capture" images provided below were taken in Microsoft Outlook 2002. Steps and screens will be similar for other versions of Outlook, although they may not be exactly the same as detailed here.

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Configure Microsoft Outlook

To configure Microsoft Outlook for secure outbound email (SMTP) at MIT, do the following:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook and and go to Tools>Email Accounts...
   Result: The Email Accounts dialog box appears.
   
   
   
   
2. If it's not already selected, click the View or Change existing email accounts option, and click Next.
   Result: Another Email Accounts dialog box appears listing the name and type of email accounts you already have configured for Microsoft Outlook.
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Change button.
   Result: The Internet Email Settings dialog box appears, showing the settings for your existing account.
   
   
   

   Note: You may notice that the Password field is blank. For security reasons, IS&T does not recommend that you enter your password on this screen. Outlook will prompt you to enter your password prior to sending/receiving email.

   
   
4. Click the More Settings button.
   Result: The next Internet Email Settings dialog box appears containing four tabs.
   
   
   


5. Click the Outgoing Server tab.
   Result: The Outgoing Server tab appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Click the checkbox for My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication. Leave the default setting to Use same settings as my incoming mail server.
   Result: The checkbox is selected.
   
   
   
   
7. Click the Advanced tab.
   Result: The Advanced tab of the Internet Email Settings dialog box is displayed.
   
   
   
   
8. Check the box for This server requires a secure connection (SSL) under both Incoming and Outgoing Server. Leave the Incoming mail port at its default of 993, but change the Outgoing server (SMTP) port from 25 to 465.
   Result: Both checkboxes are checked and the Outgoing server (SMTP) port has been set to 465.
   
   
   
   

   Note: In the unlikely event that port 465 should fail (after you have completed this procedure and try to send email), IS&T recommends that you try port 587. Some users have been successful in sending authenticated outgoing email at MIT via port 587 in lieu of 465.

   
   
9. Click OK, then Next, then Finish.
   Result: Microsoft Outlook is now configured for Secure SMTP. You will be prompted to enter your password when sending/receiving mail from your account on the MIT mail server. You can confirm that secure outbound SMTP has been properly configured by sending yourself a test message and confirming that mail headers contain the appropriate information.

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