Secure messaging for Employers and Overseas Entities 277-01150000

Secure messaging is available for Employers and Overseas Entities.

Employers and Overseas Entities will have to register to use secure messaging. Services Australia, Child Support will only send sensitive information by email through this secure server.

Once registered, Employers and Overseas Entities are able to communicate sensitive customer information via secure messaging providing an efficient and timely way to achieve quality customer outcomes.

To initiate the registration process, send an email containing a 'OFFICIAL: Sensitive - Personal Privacy' classification from Child Support to either the Employer or Overseas Entity. The Employer/Overseas Entity will receive an email notification advising:

'You have received a message from Services Australia'

The email includes a link to the secure messaging provider's website where they will be guided through the registration process.

For:

• Employers select Registering Employers for secure messaging from the dropdown menu
• Overseas Entities select Registering Overseas Entities for secure messaging from the dropdown menu

• Time-out error
  Users should avoid using the 'back' button in their browser or remaining logged on for long periods of time to avoid Time-out errors
• Invitation email not received
  Where users advise that they have not received the invitation email, advise them to check their Junk/Spam email folders
• No link in the email received
  If the user is from a Commonwealth Government body, they may be on the GovLink platform. This is a secure platform that many Commonwealth Government organisations use. To check if they are a GovLink user, access the user listing at govlink.sge.net/.
  If they are on the above list, employers can email Employer Services directly without going through secure messaging
• Receiving an error message
  Ask the user to close browser, wait 20 minutes and try again. In many cases, this resolves the error message
• Error HTTP 500
  When uploading a file using the browse function, if the user keeps clicking in this (browse) while the application is waiting to find the file, this error will display. They need to wait for the file to finish loading. Ask the user to close their browser and try again in 20 minutes
• Trouble sending email
  The user must put the full email address in the 'To' field when composing a new message
• Employer or Overseas Entity cannot log in
  Confirm the email address provided (as this might have been keyed incorrectly during the registration). Resend the registration email as per registration process. This should be monitored to confirm the issue is resolved. If the issue is unable to be resolved, go to Unable to resolve issue – final bullet point in this step
• Employer or Overseas Entity cannot reset their passphrase
  The user must select the 'I forgot my passphrase' link on the log on screen, and type in their email address when prompted. When they receive the passphrase reset email, they will need to close their browser and re-open it. Instead of selecting the link in the email, get them to copy the link and paste it in their browser. They can then select a new passphrase and continue using the system as intended
• Employer or Overseas Entity logs on and cannot view old messages
  If an account is not accessed for 3 months, individual messages are deleted
• Employer or Overseas Entity receives an email advising that their account is going to expire
  If an account is not accessed for 6 months, it is deleted. Approximately 2 weeks before the account is deleted, a message is sent to the email address under which the account was created to inform them that the action is pending. If the user logs on, it will reset the clock and it will be another 6 months with no log on before the deletion process is activated again.
  If an account is deleted and another email is sent to the recipient, they will be advised to create a new account
• Change a password after logging on to secure messaging
  Users select Settings in the top right corner of the email screen, then select Change My Passphrase. The Change Passphrase screen will display
• Unable to resolve issue
  If the issue is still experienced after going through the troubleshooting guide, it needs to be escalated through a Service Support Officer (SSO).
  The SSO will:
• use mySupport to report the issue
• search using keywords, for example passphrase, to find Secure Mail Incident webform
• complete and submit the webform. The webform will automatically route to the Gateway Operations queue
• update the escalating Service Officer on the progress or resolution of the issue

The Resources page contains a link to mySupport.

Users can save the following URL as a favourite to enable them to access the secure website quickly: securemail.servicesaustralia.gov.au

For more information on what the Employer/Overseas Entity sees during the registration process, the Resources page contains a link to the relevant User Guide for the Symantec secure mail solution.

If an employer requests communication via email, discuss the option of secure messaging and confirm that they would like to continue to enrol. Employers must be advised that this mailbox is for Child Support correspondence only.

Use the Secure messaging registration /Confirmation of employment macro to create the email. If an error displays stating that you do not have permission to send on behalf of the user, escalate your access to a Team Leader. They will forward the request to National Intensive Collection Services to amend the mailbox access.

Note: Service Officers can send a message to multiple recipients from the same employer in a single email, however they must put the email address in the 'Bcc' box and not the 'To' box for privacy purposes.

Document the details of the secure messaging request in the Organisation details window of Cuba, including the email address used.

Delete the automatic reply email that advises that a classified message has been securely delivered via Services Australia Securemail facility.

Some federal departments use GovLink. This means they are already operating in a secure environment and do not need to register for secure messaging. These departments can email their information directly to Employer Services.

A GovLink user listing can be accessed at govlink.sge.net/.

If an Employer Services Service Officer needs to send an email out to an employer:

• type the content into an email, using the approved templates available
• change the 'From' field to the email address of: Employer Services
• The email will be sent to the employer from the mailbox on behalf of the Employer Services Service Officer

Note: this should not be common practice, however if the employer has special needs, discuss with Team Leader to explore other available options.

The registration process for an Overseas Entity may be initiated as a result of:

• Child Support responding to an email containing customer information via the Overseas Child Support Team, or
• promotion of secure messaging through conversations with Service Officers correspondence or websites

Service Officers should promote the use of secure messaging during their interactions with eligible parties.

Note: while the majority of requests will be for individual contacts, central mailboxes should be encouraged as an efficient way of managing secure messaging with Child Support.

New Zealand Inland Revenue Child Support (NZIRCS) will request that additional/different staff are registered as they do not have a central mailbox.

• prepare and send an email using the approved SMS Initiating Email - Overseas Authority requests registration template. Attach the User Guide for Symantec Secure Messaging, see Resources.
• This email must be sent using the 'Unofficial' classification
• prepare and send the SMS Initiating Email - Test Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet template and attach the 'TEST' spreadsheet located at: G:/Int/DHS_International_Child_Support/Central_Authority_Team/SMS/New Zealand/TEST spreadsheet
  This email must be sent using the ‘OFFICIAL: Sensitive - Personal Privacy’' classification as this initiates the registration process for the Overseas Authority.
• update the SMS register located at:
  G:/Int/DHS_International_Child_Support/Central_Authority_Team/SMS/SMS Register

To ensure replies are sent to the correct email address, always use the 'send on behalf of' function and select the Overseas Child Support Team.

• reply to the email using the approved SMS initiating email template. Attach the Welcome pack - Secure email system available on the Resources page.
  Note: This email must be sent using the 'Unofficial' classification.
• prepare and send the response using the approved SMS International letterhead.
  Note: this email must be sent using the ‘OFFICIAL: Sensitive - Personal Privacy' classification as this initiates the registration process for the Overseas Entity
• update the SMS register located at:
  G:/Int/DHS_International_Child_Support/Central_Authority_Team/SMS/SMS Register

To ensure replies are sent to the correct email address:

• always use the 'send on behalf of' function, and
• select the Overseas Child Support Team

• obtain the Overseas Authorities email address
• prepare and send an email using the approved SMS Initiating Email - Overseas Entity requests registration template. Attach the Welcome pack - Secure email system available on the Resources page:
  Note: this email must be sent using the ‘OFFICIAL: Sensitive - Personal Privacy' classification as this initiates the registration process for the Overseas Entity.
• update the SMS register located at:
  G:/Int/DHS_International_Child_Support/Central_Authority_Team/SMS/SMS Register

To ensure replies are sent to the correct email address:

• always use the 'send on behalf of' function, and
• select the Overseas Child Support Team