Virtru at U-M

Environment

• Google, U-M GMail, University of Michigan
• Eligible: Anyone with an active U-M Google email account
  • Includes U-M faculty, staff, students, and sponsored affiliates
  • Michigan Medicine Outlook/Exchange users should instead use Michigan Medicine's Outlook - Email Encryption (U-M login required) to encrypt email attachments.

Issue

Questions about Virtru for encryption and enhanced control of Gmail messages

Resolution

What is Virtru?

Virtru is a service that allows for end-to-end encryption and enhanced control of messages sent via U-M Google mail. It is enabled through the use of a Google Chrome extension.

Features 

• Ability to encrypt individual emails
• See if recipient has opened the email
• Prevent an email from being forwarded
• Set an expiry date beyond which the email cannot be read
• Revoke the ability for a recipient to read an email after they have received it
• Protect attached files

Requirements to Use

• U-M Gmail account (not a Michigan Medicine Exchange account)
• Google Chrome Chrome and the Virtru Email Protection Chrome Extension
• May also work with Chromium-based browsers like Brave, but is unsupported by ITS and Virtru

Instructions to Install

• https://documentation.its.umich.edu/node/2179

How to Decrypt

• Once you have installed the Chrome extension and activated your Virtru installation, messages decrypt automatically
• Recipients without Virtru installed can use Virtru Secure Reader to unlock the message, after verification

Known Issues

• Chrome may offer to translate the content of the message which is odd/confusing

Additional Information

• Will not work with email sent to MCommunity groups
• More information https://safecomputing.umich.edu/protect-the-u/safely-use-sensitive-data/virtru

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.