Encryption has been on everyone’s minds since it was revealed that the NSA combs through Internet data going into and out of the U.S. Major Internet companies have moved towards encrypting their users’ data and Microsoft is now doing the same for Office 365 users.

Microsoft announced this afternoon that Office 365 Message Encryption is now live and will be rolling out to users. The service will allow you to send encrypted email messages to anyone through your Office 365 account. To use it, your organization will have had to licensed Office 365 Enterprise E3 or E4. If not, you can also purchase a subscription to Windows Azure Rights Management to gain access.

According to Microsoft, this new message encryption service is based on its previous Exchange Hosted Encryption service. The new service features a number of new features that warrant the subscription cost.

You’ll want to watch the below video to learn how Office 365 Message Encryption works. You’ll also see how you can set it up for yourself or your organization:

If you need more help in setting up Office 365 Message Encryption, you’ll want to check out Microsoft’s documentation. It will cover in detail “the requirements and steps needed to enable Office 365 Message Encryption” on your network.

Microsoft will also be discussing the new program at the Microsoft Exchange Conference in Austin, TX on March 31.

Image via Microsoft