You can restrict permission to content in email messages in Outlook with Information Rights Management (IRM), just as you can restrict permission to other Microsoft Office files.
Important
If you're using Office on a Surface RT device, you can view IRM-protected mail, but you can't send. Want to see what version of Office you're using?
Information Rights Management (IRM) allows you to specify access permissions to email messages. IRM helps prevent sensitive information from being read, printed, forwarded, or copied by unauthorized people. IRM also helps organizations enforce corporate policy governing the control and dissemination of confidential or proprietary information, both within the organization and with customers and partners.
After permission for a message is restricted by using IRM, the access and usage restrictions are enforced regardless of where the message goes, because the permissions to access an email message are saved in the message file itself.
IRM can't prevent content from being erased, stolen, corrupted, or captured and transmitted by malicious programs or computer viruses. It also can't prevent restricted content from being hand-copied or retyped, or prevent a digital photograph or screen capture being taken of the restricted content.
View messages when IRM isn't available
If you must read or open content with restricted permission but Outlook isn't available on the computer that you're using, you can use a web browser. If you use Outlook on the web, you can view restricted messages on any browser.
Remove IRM from a message you've sent
Removing the restricted permissions from a message you've sent will not update the messages in recipients' mailboxes. Only the copy of the message in your Sent Items folder is affected.
If you're the original sender of a message and you'd like to remove the restricted permissions, use the following steps.
- Open the encrypted message from your Sent Items folder by double-clicking it.
- Select File > Encrypt > Unrestricted Access.
- Select Save.
File types covered by IRM policies when they are attached to messages
When the following file types are attached to a rights-managed message in Outlook, they are automatically rights-managed.
Note
If you attach Outlook message files (.msg) to a rights-managed message (such as forwarding multiple Outlook messages within one message), the attached messages aren't rights managed.
Word documents
| File type | Extension |
|---|---|
| Document | .doc |
| Document | .docx |
| Macro-enabled document | .docm |
| Template | .dot |
| Template | .dotx |
| Macro-enabled template | .dotm |
Excel documents
| File type | Extension |
|---|---|
| Workbook | .xls |
| Workbook | .xlsx |
| Macro-enabled workbook | .xlsm |
| Template | .xlt |
| Template | .xltx |
| Macro-enabled template | .xltm |
| Non-XML binary workbook | .xlsb |
| Macro-enabled add-in | .xla |
| Macro-enabled add-in | .xlam |
PowerPoint documents
| File type | Extension |
|---|---|
| Presentation | .ppt |
| Presentation | .pptx |
| Macro-enabled presentation | .pptm |
| Template | .pot |
| Template | .potx |
| Macro-enabled template | .potm |
| Show | .pps |
| Show | .ppsx |
| Macro-enabled show | .ppsm |
| Office theme | .thmx |
InfoPath files
| File type | Extension |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Form/Template | .xsn |
XPS documents
| File type | Extension |
|---|---|
| XML Paper Specification | .xps |