XADM: Encryption Does Not Work in Public Folders (164959)

SYMPTOMS

If you use Advanced Security in Microsoft Exchange Server, you can encrypt a message and send it to a public folder, but no mailboxes, other than the originating mailbox, can open the message.

MORE INFORMATION

To be able to send a message to a public folder, the public folder must have the Hide from Address Book check box in the Advanced tab cleared for that public folder's property page in the Microsoft Exchange Administrator program or you must know the one-off address. After this is done, the users can select the public folder as a recipient from the global address list.

If users have Advanced Security enabled, they can send an encrypted message to a public folder. If they do, then only the mailbox that originally sent the message can open that encrypted message.

No warning dialog box appears when sending an encrypted message to a public folder and other mailboxes that try to open the encrypted message receive the following error message:

This item has been encrypted. You do not have the security key necessary to unencrypt this item.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Exchange Server, versions 4.0 and 5.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.