When transmitting passwords and other sensitive data, WebRoot solutions tech support personnel prefer to use encrypted email or voice telephone. These are the two most-convenient ways to transfer information with a relative expectation of privacy. Once a password is in your hands, so to speak, you may use it as you wish, but we prefer to ensure that security vulnerabilities do not originate with our own practices, and we believe that demonstrating best security practices encourages our clients to adopt them and reassures our clients that their websites and email accounts are in good hands.

We encrypt email communications using what is known as public-key technology. Once you follow the steps to establish a public-private key combo for encrypting email and other documents, you will be able to use it not just with WebRoot staff but also with others around the Internet, as well.

Below are links to several guides, as well as notations by us that will hopefully help you determine which method is best and most convenient for you.

Enigmail for Thunderbird (or SeaMonkey) email client
If you use the famous (and free) Mozilla Thunderbird email program (the one we recommend for all WebRoot clients), this is the extension and guide for you. This method will also be most convenient for your encrypted exchanges with WebRoot staff whenever file transfers are concerned.

FireGPG for Firefox and GMail
If you use Google's GMail service and the Mozilla Firefox browser (which we recommend), install this extension and you'll be off to the races.

If you use another email program or system, submit a support ticket and WebRoot staff will try to find a solution for you (then we'll add it to this article).

For a more-detailed, general explanation of the concepts behind and uses of public-key encryption, see The GNU Privacy Handbook.