About

In addition to encrypting messages and attachments, Virtru users have the ability to apply additional security settings to protected content. Among these settings is the option to Require SMS for authentication.

When using this setting, the sender of the message must provide a cell phone number for each recipient. Then, upon receipt of the message, the recipient will need to complete an SMS verification to unlock the content using the phone number set by the sender.

Jump to:

Manage PFP in Virtru Email Clients
Recipient Experience

Manage Require SMS

Require SMS can be set for a message before an email is sent

1. Begin a New message, open the Virtru pane, and toggle Protection ON.

2. In the "MESSAGE OPTIONS" section, select Require SMS. (This will also automatically toggle Disable Forwarding).

As you begin adding recipients to the message, you will see "Recipient phone #" entry fields appear for each.

3. Complete each phone # entry field. While doing so, you will need to manually enter the country code or select a country from the drop-down menu.

You must enter a phone number for all recipients.

4. Compose the rest of your message and Send. If an entry field is blank or improperly formatted, the message will fail to send with an error to add valid numbers.

Require SMS can also be managed after an email is sent

1. Open a sent secure message and the Virtru pane. Expand the Security Options menu.

2. Modify the recipient's number and/or select or deselect the Require SMS option. 

Recipient Experience

Recipient experience for non-Virtru users

1. The initial secure email will look like any other and the user will move through the typical verification steps.

2. Once standard verification is complete, the user will be directed to the "Secondary verification" page for SMS verification. They will see the beginning (with country code) and end of the phone number the sender set.

Clicking Send code to my number will initiate an SMS message with a one-time code. There is also the option to select That's not my number to be directed to a "Help with secondary verification" page.

3. After receiving the code, the user will need to complete the entry field and select Verify this code to complete the process and access their message.

If the code is incorrect, the user will see a "Code not valid" message and will need to retry with the correct code.

Clicking I never received a code will take them to a "Help with secondary verification" page.

Recipient experience for add-in users

Even if a recipient is a Virtru add-in user, they will be forced to complete SMS verification. When trying to view a decrypted message in the Virtru panel, they will see an "Additional Security" prompt with an Unlock Message link. This link will take the user through the same verification steps at the non-Virtru recipients.

Problems with the associated number

If during the secondary verification process the recipient selects That's not my number or I never received a code, they will be directed to a "Help with secondary verification" page. 

Here, the recipient can select Send code to my number to retry delivery or select the Change my number option.

If the user has a default mail client configured on their device, the Change my number option will auto-draft the beginning of an email to the sender so that they can request an update. If no default mail client is configured, the Change my number option will be unresponsive and a manual message will need to be drafted.