Network Solutions says the new subscription service enables businesses and consumers to send and receive encrypted email messages from Outlook and Outlook Express email clients. MessageGuard does not require users to have an existing relationship with the recipient, so there is no need to exchange passwords, keys or certificates.

"Email is such a common form of communication today that consumers and business owners alike might sometimes forget how easy it is for their email content to be viewed by unwanted sources," says Champ Mitchell, chairman and CEO of Network Solutions. "Our MessageGuard service allows customers to easily send sensitive information securely."

MessageGuard is available to all Outlook and Outlook Express users for $9.95 per month per email box or $99.50 per year per email box.