upgrade from standard to business premium - easy steps to encryption

Good day Denise, 

Just to gently clarify before going any further, this forum is separate from Microsoft Support. I don’t have the ability to access or investigate individual accounts because this is a user‑to‑user support forum.  

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes email encryption. Since you didn't mention which version of Outlook you are using, please follow the steps below based on your situation: 

Situation 1: If you use Outlook on the web or the New Outlook desktop app 

Sign in to Outlook on the web with your work account. 

Select New mail > Go to Options tab > Open More Options on the message toolbar > Choose Encrypt this email (S/MIME). 

Note: You can use the same steps in the New Outlook desktop app. 

Situation 2: If you use Classic Outlook 

In Classic Outlook, select New Email > Go to the Options tab > Select Encrypt. 

Situation 3: If Encrypt appears in Outlook on the web but not in the desktop app 

Sign out of your work account in Outlook and all Office apps. 

Open Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager. 

Select Windows Credentials and remove any saved Office or Outlook credentials. 

Restart Outlook and sign in again with the work account that has the Business Premium license assigned. 

Situation 4: If Encrypt is still unavailable 

I’d recommend reaching out to your IT admin and asking them to check a few things: 

Note: In case you do not know who is your IT admin, kindly refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support  

1/ Make sure the Microsoft 365 Business Premium license is assigned to the account you're using in Outlook. 

2/ Verify that Azure Rights Management (Azure RMS) and Information Rights Management (IRM) are enabled for your tenant. 

3/ They can also run the Microsoft Purview Message Encryption diagnostic from the Microsoft 365 admin center, which may help identify any configuration issues. 

Additional information is available in the following resources: 

Send S/MIME or Microsoft Purview encrypted emails in Outlook | Microsoft Support 

Resolve Microsoft Purview Message Encryption issues - Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn 

Set up Microsoft Purview Message Encryption | Microsoft Learn 

Situation 5: If Encrypt is missing in both Outlook and Outlook on the web after these checks 

This indicates an organization level encryption configuration issue. Your administrator can contact Microsoft Support through Microsoft 365 admin center > Support > Help & Support for further investigation. 

A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis.    

If you have any questions or need further support, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

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