The University of Arizona
UITS Home » Services » Email Clients » SSL Instructions for Email Programs

SSL Instructions for Email Programs

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are security protocols used to protect your information when you send and receive email. When you activate SSL/TLS in your email client (Outlook, Thunderbird), your NetID and password cannot be read by an outside party. In email clients without SSL/TLS enabled, passwords appear in 'clear text.' This means that someone hacking into the system can read and access your NetID and password.

With your NetID and password, a hacker can access all your personal information including your Social Security Number, address, and birthdate. They can also read your email messages. If you are using the SMTP server of your Internet Service Provider (ISP), it is up to your ISP whether or not SSL/TLS is required.

See the SSL Instructions for email Clients page for enabling SSL/TLS on the most popular email clients for PCs and MACs.

If the client you are using right now does not support SSL/TLS, you must either upgrade to an email client that is SSL/TLS compliant or use WebMail. Remember, if you use multiple computers to send and receive email (office, home, laptop), you must go into the email client on each computer and activate SSL/TLS. Note: If your Internet Service Provider (ISPs such as Cox, Comcast or QWest) does not permit SSL/TLS-encrypted SMTP connections, then you will need to use your Internet Service Provider's SMTP services. For more information, please call your specific ISP.

For more detailed instructions on how to create, add and edit server settings in Outlook 2007, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2011, Thunderbird and MacMail, see Email-Client Setup.

BlackBerry Users

These instructions will help you enable SSL on your BlackBerry. You may want to print out these directions before you go to your provider's website.

  1. Go to the BlackBerry website for your provider. (Use the link at the bottom of this page to go to the BlackBerry Internet Service Email Setup website for a link to your specific provider.) The Welcome screen for your provider appears. Enter your username and password for your BlackBerry account. Click Log In.
  2. The BlackBerry Email Accounts screen appears. Click on Edit to the far right of the account in which you want to activate SSL.
  3. The Settings screen appears. Click on Advanced Settings.
  4. The Advanced Settings screen appears. Check on the SSL box. Type 993 if you are using IMAP or 995 if you are using POP in the Port text box. Click Save.

To set up SSL using your provider's website:

Go to the BlackBerry Internet Service Email Setup page. Click on the name of your provider at the bottom of the Blackberry setup page to go to the specific email setup page for your provider and enable SSL.

Outlook 2007 (PC)

  1. Start Outlook 2007
  2. Click on the Tools menu and select Options
  3. Click the Mail Setup tab
  4. Click the Send/Receive button
  5. Click the Edit button
  6. Click the Account Properties button
  7. If you are going to access your email from off campus, click the Outgoing Server tab and check the My outgoing server server (SMTP) requires authentication box. (You will now have to enter your password when you begin your email session and then re-enter it when you send your first email message unless you check the 'Remember Password' box)
  8. Click the Advanced tab
  9. Under Incoming Server, click the pull-down menu next to 'Use the following type of encrypted connection, and choose SSL (The Port number automatically changes to 993 for IMAP and 995 for POP)
  10. Under Outgoing Server (SMTP), click the pull-down menu next to “Use the following type of encrypted connection,and choose SSL. Change the Port number to 465
  11. Click OK, then click OK again
  12. Click Close
  13. Click OK
  14. Restart your Outlook email client to enable SSL. Note: If the Incoming port number does not change, change it to 993 for IMAP and 995 for POP. If you see the error message below, the Incoming server name is wrong. Go back to the Tools menu and select Accounts. Change the Incoming server name to inbox.email.arizona.edu.

Thunderbird 2.0/1.5

  1. Select Tools from the main Thunderbird menu
  2. Select Account Settings
  3. From the left pane under Account Settings, select Server Settings
  4. In the Security and Authentication box under 'Use secure connection, click on SSL. Make sure the Port text box is 993 for IMAP and 995 for POP. 5. From the left pane under Account Settings, select Outgoing Server (SMTP)
  5. Click Edit
  6. In the Security and Authentication box, under 'Use secure connection, click on SSL. Change the Port number to 465. 8. Click OK

OS X Mail Client (MAC Mail) IMAP

  1. In OS X Mail, click Mail, then Preferences.
  2. Click on the Account tab. The Account Information window appears.
  3. Check to make sure that the Incoming Server name is inbox.email.arizona.edu.
  4. Click Server Settings at the bottom of the window. The Outgoing Server window appears.
  5. Change the Server port to 465.
  6. Check the Use Socket Layer (SSL) option.
  7. If needed, reenter your email client password. Click OK.
  8. Click on the Advanced tab.
  9. At the bottom of the Advanced tabbed page, make sure the option Use SSL is checked and that the number in the “Port” text box is 993. (Make sure the “IMAP Path Prefix” field is blank. If anything appears in that text box, delete it.)
  10. Close the Account Preferences Account window. Choose Save when prompted.
  11. Quit OS X Mail (MAC Mail) and then re-start the program. SSL is now enabled. Note: If you see the error message below, the Incoming server name is wrong. Go back to the Account Information window and change the Incoming Server name to inbox.email.arizona.edu.

OS X Mail Client (MAC Mail) POP

  1. In OS X Mail, click Mail, then Preferences.
  2. Click the Account tab. The Account Information window appears.
  3. Check to make sure that the Incoming Server name is inbox.email.arizona.edu.
  4. Click on the Advanced tab.
  5. At the bottom of the Advanced tabbed page, make sure the option Use SSL is checked and that the number in the “Port” text box is 995. (Make sure the “IMAP Path Prefix” field is blank. If anything appears in that text box, delete it.)
  6. Close the Account Preferences Account window. Choose Save when prompted.
  7. Quit OS X Mail (MAC Mail) and then re-start the program. SSL is now enabled. Note: If you see the error message below, the Incoming Server name is wrong. Go back to the Account Information window and change the Incoming Server name to inbox.email.arizona.edu.